We Can Only Live In The Present

“We cannot live in the past; it is gone.  Nor can we live in the future; it is forever beyond our grasp.  We can only live in the present.”

-S.N. Goenka

 

I don’t live in the past although I sometimes visit it in my mind.  Memories, music, or even physical objects can transport me back to a time when someone or something crossed my path in a positive way.  Sometimes a negative memory is triggered as well but I try to quickly move away from those.  I cannot remember or visit the future because it has not happened yet.  The only option is to daydream about a desired experience in the hopes that someday it will happen and then I can treasure it as a memory.  The present moment is our best hope.  Each moment is a new beginning.  It can be used to move away from a painful memory or experience or be used to move towards a desired outcome.  Although the moment may seem static it is actually transitional.  You may feel like you are standing still, or perhaps spinning in a circle, but you are actually moving.  The question becomes, “Where are you going”?  I am reminded of a time I had dinner in a revolving restaurant at the top of a hotel.  Eating my dinner and drinking my wine, I had no real sense of movement.  I was in the moment.  At some point I went to the men’s room.  By the time I returned I couldn’t find my table because it had moved to the other side of the room.  Yes, I probably had too much wine.  Sometimes when you are in the middle of your meal, or your life, it may seem as though nothing is happening.  Step away for a few minutes and your table has moved to the other side of the room or your life is five years down the road.  Being in the moment does not stop time.  It only increases your awareness of the moment.  It also helps if you limit your wine consumption.