Over and over again, we read about the importance of living in the
Now, in the present moment, because the future isn't here yet and
the past is done and gone. We have no guarantees of what
will come in the future, so we can't depend upon our plans and
ideas for it; we can have no effect at all on the past, so
dwelling on mistakes and successes of the past is a futile waste
of our time. Only right here and right now can we hope to
have any effect at all upon our lives and the lives of others.
The principle behind this idea, of course, is very sound--many of
us spend much of our time worrying about things to come and
thinking about things that were instead of looking around
ourselves to see our present situations and to find ways to
improve them. We all have things that can and should be
done, and eventually we need to make sure that they get
done--things that include rest and relaxation and nice
conversations with friends and many other positive, fun
things. Sometimes the best thing to do in any given moment
is simply to enjoy ourselves, for that enjoyment helps to
rejuvenate and reinvigorate us, making us more effective when we
do the many things that we're called to do each day.
How, though, do we go about making sure that we get the most out
of our present moments? In many ways, it's a question of
awareness--having the ability to know what's going on in our
lives, what needs to be done, and what can wait.
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We need to
be able to make decisions that are sound and that we trust, even
if that decision means that we take an hour-long walk in the woods
instead of tackling that new set of tasks that we need to deal
with.
I used to be
completely out of tune with the present moment. I would have
moments of clarity when I was able to appreciate and enjoy what
was in my life, but for the most part my mind kept me out of the
present because it was focused on what wasn't there rather than
what was in my life. I would be worried about the
relationships I didn't have, the money I needed, the problems that
might be coming up. I was successful in what I did because
of the pressure that came from deadlines and the expectations of
others and my sense of responsibility, not because I was getting
the most out of my life and giving my all to what I was doing.
Our awareness and appreciation of the present moment is a mental
issue, after all. It's tied in with where and how we place
our attention, with what we're thinking of and what we choose to
focus on. That person might have just insulted me, but the
sun is shining and a warm breeze is blowing and there are really
nice people with me--so why do I spend my time and energy being
angry and worrying about what that person said to me? What I
focus on is, after all, my choice.
More important than awareness of the present moment, though, are
our actions in each present moment. I know people whose
first action when they return home is to turn on the television,
which then stays on for hours, never allowing the person to
experience the amazing qualities of silence and reflection.
I know people who have the chance to go and talk to someone really
interesting, but who instead pay more attention to their fears
than to their curiosity or desire to know someone new and choose
not to have that conversation. I know people who sit down to
relax, but who choose to answer their phones instead of
relaxing--and they're suddenly spending their time dealing with
someone else's stress and problems.
In
his book Island, Aldous Huxley wrote of a
society that had trained birds to repeat the words
"Attention," and "Here and
now." These birds were wonderful
reminders to the people of the importance of keeping
our minds and our spirits attuned to the present
moment, of paying attention to all that is around
us, right here and right now. We're virtually
surrounded by thousands of amazing things all the
time, but we tend to allow ourselves to ignore the
wonder of the world because we're so caught up in
all the little things our minds are doing.
When we pay attention only to what is in our minds,
we lose what else there is in life at this very
moment.
Living in this moment takes a lot of effort.
Existing in this present moment takes very
little. The effort involves making
decisions--decisions to pay attention, to
appreciate, to notice, to feel, to allow ourselves
to ignore our own egos that are telling us to pay
attention only to ourselves in the ego's own petty
little ways. Decisions we make right now will
affect us in an hour, in a day, in a year, and in a
decade. Sometimes the decision is to do
something we don't want to do, like the dishes or
the homework or the phone call to that difficult
person. But sometimes the decision is to do
something wonderful or remarkable or just really,
really fun.
Right
here and right now, where are you? What's
going on in your life? Are your steps filled
with peace, or with strife? Do you see the
wonder, or is your mind focused on a future outcome,
a past mistake, or someone else's "wrong"
actions? You are able to make your choice to
return to the present moment, to the now. And
when you do make that choice, you have the choice to
view it with jaded eyes that tells you what's worthy
and unworthy, or with wondering eyes that notice the
amazing things and let your mind know that life is
an amazing experience. Right here and right
now, there are tons of opportunities all about
us. It's a shame that we so often ignore them,
isn't it?
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