“Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.”
Oprah Winfrey
Photo: Zen
Photo: Zen
What an amazing quote to start the day. It’s your choices here and now that determine the outcome. It’s what you do today that matters. The past is abstract, it exists only as a concept. Because whilst we’re experiencing it, it’s really just the present. And do you know what that means? It means that there is no point getting caught up in it. The past? It’s already happened. It’s history. It’s unchangeable. Getting caught up in something that we cannot alter is like scrubbing tirelessly at your window trying to wipe away the moon. It’s out of our reach, accept that. Let it be.
Photo: Zen
Photo: Zen
Photo: Zen
When you look to the future, you see this big ol’ stretch of time ahead of you and you begin to panic, your palms sweat, your mind frazzles. You perceive it as one winding sequence of unknown — anything could happen! — and it terrifies you. It terrifies all of us. But in reality, each day unfolds one by one. You truly do have to (and only can) live in the present. Because there will always be more future to head after, but there is only ever one now.
Photo: Zen
Photo: Zen
Photo: Zen
Photo: Zen
There’s profound wisdom to this if you can let go of/loosen your understanding of time and how it works for a little while. There’s a reason why all of the “enlightened” ones from the Buddha to Eckhart Tolle to Mindfulness meditation teachers and Yogis alike all teach techniques that are meant to do one thing – bring us back to the present moment. When there is pain, you can choose to deal with it right now. Dive into it and feel it and express it so that your next now isn’t so painful. If you’ve been avoiding something, you can deal with it now. If there’s some unresolved issue, you can deal with it now. If you’re stressed out because of work, you can deal with it right now.
Photo: Zen
Photo: Zen
Photo: Zen
Photo: Zen
Don’t get caught up in thinking about the past or the future—live in the now. Be present in your own life. because all you have is this moment. Don’t let it slip away. Given the fast pace and hectic schedules most of us keep, a base level of anxiety, stress, and unhappiness is the new norm. You may not even realize it, but this tendency to get sucked into the past and the future can leave you perpetually worn out and feeling out of touch with yourself. The cure for this condition is what so many people have been saying all along: conscious awareness and a commitment to staying in the “now.” Living in the present moment is the solution to a problem you may not have known you had.
Photo: Zen
Photo: Zen
Photo: Zen
Photo: Zen
Being in the present moment, or the “here and now,” means that we are aware and mindful of what is happening at this very moment. We are not distracted by ruminations on the past or worries about the future, but centered in the here and now. All of our attention is focused on the present moment. Now, go out there and make the best now that you can.
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