We have no choice but to live in the moment. It is real time; ‘here and now’ time.
What came before is past; what comes next is the future, yet to arrive. Only the present moment is ‘real.’ Thinking we exist anywhere other than the exact moment we are in, is a deception.
When we become preoccupied with the past, we are lost in memory, caught in a time that no longer exists. If we jump ahead and project the present into the future, that is time that exists in the imagination, yet to exist. The saying is, “Live in the present;” more accurate would be, “Live in reality.”
Typically, depression lives in the past and anxiety lives in the future. Alternately, calmness and peace of mind live in the present.
To live in the moment is to be fully conscious; keenly aware of the miracle of being alive, capable of feeling happiness and gratitude (and yes, pain). This is the blessing bestowed on sentient beings, the capability to savor each moment.
It is a precious gift, often wasted on the young, who see time as stretching endlessly toward a destination not yet in their Atlas. But for us Elders, understanding the wonder of each moment that flees by, we try not to waste a single tick of the clock of time, savoring the opportunity to choose how we spend each precious minute, not settling for anything less than that which brings us the most joy.
When my granddaughter tentatively knocks on the door while I am watching the Bears’ game, and asks if she could help me with the recipe I planned for dinner, it’s a quick read, Bears game or sharing treasured time with the nine year old light of my life.
Which decision would connect us more closely? Which memory would bring me the most pleasure?
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Aging, Life style, Love, Spiritual, Uncategorized