Live in the present

Live in the present


We have all heard of, living for the future or living in the past. However, we never seem to hear or see people living in the present. We must revaluate how we are living our lives. Life is short on this earth and we must get the most out of it, but not to make more money, or to have a better job. Living is not for working or striving to get more, it is about “living.” Now I am not against making money or having nice jobs or even having lots and lots of money. What I am saying is that we are not living for the present.
Looking to the future is what we seem to be always doing. We seem to be looking for that “great success” in our future, waiting for our “ship to come in” or our “big break.” Looking for that day when we will “really” be happy. If this is the case, then we will never find ourselves living in the present. We will only be looking and living for the future.
The same holds true for the past. If we are finding ourselves looking back at what we could have done better or what we should have done differently, we will never be living in the present. Just living in the past and never seeing what is in our present surroundings. We will miss all that God has given us and all that we have “now” and can live for in the present.
A very destructive habit that we find ourselves doing is “futurizing.” We use up all of our time planning and looking to the future. If you think about it, if we are always planning, we are not living! What? What do you mean we are not “living?” I’m breathing and I am working and paying bills and going shopping and so on and so on…. Blah, blah, blah! Exactly, blah, blah, blah, that is what you are doing, not living, you are living for the future and/or the past mistakes. Start living “for you” now, in the present.
Live life for the life itself. You know when you take a vacation or have a long weekend and find yourself not thinking about work next week? You get some how caught up in the moment and find that you are really enjoying yourself and think, wow, that was a great vacation or wow, I had a great weekend not thinking about all the “stuff” I have to do next week or next month. You are living in the present. That is what I am talking about and that is how I believe we all can live our lives everyday.
Is it not funny how we are working for the future so that someday we will be happy? Well you know, if we are working for wealth so that we can be happy forever, forever will never come, nor will happiness. Our pursuit itself will become the purpose of our life. If we do get to a level we were trying to achieve, we will only be happy for a moment and will set our goals higher to achieve more and so the race is on. Matter of fact, the race has been going on our whole life. You have the control to stop the race and enjoy the scenery that you have been running by to get to the scenery that you were trying to get to. It is a cliché but true, “stop and smell the roses,” stop the race and look at all you have been missing. Life in the moment. When you are talking to someone, really stop and talk to them. Don’t just listen while you are thinking about were you have to go next or what is waiting for you around the corner, it will wait on you and/or be there when you get there. Live!

Now, you ask, “how do I do this?” First start by realizing that futurizing is a cultural problem and for one you are not going to belong to that group anymore. Realize that “now” is the only time you really have. I know that sounds too simple, but re-read that line again, “now” is the only time you really have. Think about it, if we continue to live in the past or the future, we are not living for “now.” You might just find yourself not living in attendance. Now participating in the present, not living at all.
This can be a vicious circle. Romanticizing the future, to believe that what is to “come to us” in the future will be so much better than what is happening right now. That it will be so much better. Things will be so much better when I get that “other” job. Everything will be just fine when I meet that someone special in my future. I just know that things will be great when I finish school and get out in the real world. Oh, things will be joyous when I have that baby. Always anticipating the future and using all our time planning and figuring out just how things will be “then.”
As the vicious circle continues, the expected future results become frustration. The future never seems to live up to your picture of what the future held for you. Then before you know it, the future has become your present and has been spoiled and again you are not living the life that you said you would like to live. That job did not turn out to be what you thought it would be. The man/woman that finally came into your life was not “the” one. You finished school and the “real world” was not at all, what you thought it would be or that baby you had did not solve the other problems in life that you hoped it would.
The circle continues. You have set yourself up for a big let down. The deflation or discouragement of the future becoming the present and it lets you down. It did not turn out how you said it would or how you planned it. In addition, in this happening to you over and over again, you are setting yourself up for depression. You might be one of those people that get so used to this “bad future” becoming the present so much that you start having the outlook in life of, “I just should not expect anything good to happen to me.” “My future just looks to dark.” “I always seem to fail.” Then you just find yourself turning around again and doing the same thing over again, looking to the future to solve yet another situation that you seem to be in and the circle continues.
Again, you are like the millions of people that live in this vicious circle, never changing your presents. Stop the circle! Step out of the circle and start living your life, not for the past, not for the future, but for NOW!!!!! Live for the present. Start your new life today. The past is over! What was in the past, stays in the past. It will not come again. You are bringing to a halt your life by living in the past. To get out of this “bygone,” you must give up the attitude that keeps you from living life. You accomplish this by changing your attitude for the present rather than trying to erase the past. Just let the past go. If you have to, take a day and just wallow in the past and then bury it. Put it down and let it stay in the past. I do not mean that all your memories from the past should be thrown away. Keep your memories in your heart, but get on with your present. Again, stop the circle! Step out of the circle and start living your life, not for the past, not for the future, but for NOW!!!!! Live for the present. Start your new life today.

By: Jay Bailey