We hear a lot today about the need to live in the present.
Let go of the past; do not spend too much time thinking about the future; go with the flow.
And yes, the mind gets easily stuck in replaying old stories, unfinished businesses, or hurtful emotions. Some things are too beautiful to forget; others, too ugly to forgive.
How much time/energy do we spend anticipating, planning, rehearsing, desiring, dreading, or strategizing a future we can only fantasize or worry about.
And we miss the present.
And because it is in the present that we build our future, we also end up missing and messing up our future. And this is no good deal …
So yes, living in the now is a good idea: nowhere else is there any ‘reality’ worth our attention anyway.
The only thing we can know with some degree of certainty in this big wide universe is the moment that is present in front of us, right here, right now, being who we are.
‘I’, here, now.
What's not here doesn't exist
Sufi proverb
People who are overly focused on the future achieve. They stick to their aims, keep commitments, and move forward. But they also tend to be tense, a bit closed, often irritated, and frustrated, busy working to be somewhere else than where they are now; seeking something else than what they have now; and trying to BE something else than who they are.
And we do that sometimes …
In comparison, people who live in the now appear more relaxed, peaceful, graceful, available, easy-going, adaptable, and attractive. More agreeable friends to hang around with.
And we do that sometimes …
But however nice it looks, there are a few downsides to the philosophy of only living in the present.
✨ You tend to ‘float’ a lot, lack direction and a sense of where you want to go;
✨ You can be fast and versatile but unstable also; you’re not too bothered with commitments or sudden changes of mind; your roots are shallow;
✨ You don’t really exploit or enjoy your potential because you tend to give up quickly, do not value commitment, and do not have a compelling, truly desireable long-term vision.
Commitments are the promises of yesterday. Everything changes and the wind blows always – let go of the past, enjoy the now. Look at this moment – so interesting; so many things to look at, experience, consume or learn, why not enjoy them all now as bees do in the early spring when they get drunk with the nectar of so many flowers? Why bother with commitments, goals, or ancient promises when there is such abundance?
Flowers are very beautiful and they grow quickly. But it takes time to make a tree.
Flowers do not last very long – they come, reveal their beauty, release their fragrance, and wilt. Trees last longer; trees have deep roots; trees produce flowers.
If you want the tree – a sound, strong, solid, rich, abundant, and generous life, you need to build on commitments. You need to see your present in the context of the momentum of the past flowing through this moment toward your future.
Now is the point of contact with reality. But today’s now comes from yesterday’s; and today’s now transforms into tomorrow’s as surely as the sap from the tree transforms into flowers and fruits.
Now, now, and now.
So here we are, again, ending up with that magical seven letters word: BALANCE.
Equilibrium: the art of getting the best of both worlds by unifying opposites: live in the present as a continuation of the past on your way to creating the future you want.
✨ Capitalise on the past – it is a magnificent resource you will need if you intend to build things that last. But remember you are not your past; you are more than your past; your past is NOT your potential.
✨ Keep your commitments toward the future you’ve promised yourself to embrace – the future you love. But be prepared to flex and appreciate what comes your way. The future you will live will most probably not look like the one you had imagined. And the path you will walk to reach there will be different than the path you had planned or anticipated.
This is how life works – it’s full of surprises and unexpected gifts and lessons and tricks 🙂
Even if you keep a consistent focus, your future will not look like the picture you had in mind, but it will still be a manifestation of what your heart and soul wanted – what you truly wanted but could not formulate clearly.
Do not ask me how that happens, i do not know. But I have experienced it a hundred times, finding myself in situations that did not look like what i had imagined but were exactly what i actually wanted and needed.
Strange alchemy of life’s creative intelligence that seems to know so well how to take us by the hand and guide us toward the realization of our soul’s aspirations.
The secret to reaching there is to keep the right balance between being alert in the present, making good use of the past without being bound or limited by it; and focusing on the desired future you want and foresee, without getting obsessed with it.
Relaxed, open, available, curious, open hearted, and yet purposeful, intentional, strategic, determined, and focused – ready to respond to the unexpected, and adjust to the needs of the terrain.
The path toward sustainable well-being, goodness, feel-good success, wisdom and love is somewhere in the middle – not too tense, not too loose like the string of Buddha’s tampura.
This is the mental positioning of the ‘Detached Observer’, or ‘Relaxed Alertness’, or ‘Detached Involvement’ that Inner Focusing seeks to reinforce: the golden formula for authentic success in all areas of your life i.e. the kind of success that leaves you cool, fresh, satisfied, and doesn’t generate unwanted side effects.
The success we all want.
🙂
PS. Those articles are written to be practiced. We do not earn by keeping your attention hooked on this site. If something has touched you in what you read, log out and go do it – go take care of your life and of all the wonders that are in it.
<3
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