Acknowledge The Present You Have

“The past has gone, the futures to come, now is a gift, that is why they call it your present.“

People often say, ‘Live for the moment’ but very few head there own advice. Whilst using past experiences is essential to developing and learning. We are here now. Right now is your present.

Stop look around you, what can you feel; are you on a hard chair, a soft sofa? What can you smell? Can you smell cooking food or burning incense? What can you hear? Your family talking loudly, is music playing, is your dog barking? Your senses are interpreting the world around you. This is living. There is no pause, rewind or fast forward button, simply the present. Appreciating the now is fundamental to enjoying your life.

“You shouldn’t chase after the past or place expectations on the future. What is past is left behind. The future is as yet unreached. Whatever quality is present you clearly see right there, right there.” Buddha

Continuously reminiscing over what you once had, what you have lost, does not make productive sense. It is not beneficial to your well-being. You are here now, and everything before this point cannot be brought back or changed. It is gone. Finished. Over. This is not a pessimistic attitude. Simply Fact. Don’t distress. What has gone before you has made you what you are now. It has developed you character. Strengthened your resolve. A continuous line representing your learning curve, that once drew cannot be rubbed out. Whilst you cannot stop the line being drawn, at any time you can change its direction. Often it spirals downward, often it spirals upwards. Ultimately it can be shaped to draw the picture of life you desire.

It is an exciting prospect that everything from now forward in time has yet to be drawn. Yet to be imprinted in the legacy of time. History is to be written and you are the writer. You decide what happens next, where the central character goes. Now is the beginning of Time.

“What we perceive as present is the vivid fringe of memory tinged with anticipation“
Alfred North Whitehead