Why being present matters.
Good morning everyone! The last two articles were serious and academic. Still, I want to create content that you can reference when you need it without all of my humour and GIFs. But that doesn’t mean I won’t do both.
I’ve been close to the mountains this weekend and read “The Power Of Now” by Eckhard Tolle. The sheer beauty of our nature and our world sank deep. I’ve always loved nature, but this weekend it impacted me, and I wanted to share this with you.
Knowing the interconnectedness of our past, present, and future can help us make sense of our lives and make the most of them. We can remember the past since it is part of our personal experience. Even if they aren’t always right, our recollections help us piece together our identities and our experiences. For example, recalling past events might help us draw conclusions about the present and guide future choices.
However, the future exists only in our thoughts. We can think about and prepare for it in the future, but it’s not here now. Future possibilities are both intriguing and frightening. Remember that our present actions and decisions will have lasting effects on our future.
Because of this, the only time we can ever genuinely live in is the present. Though it’s easy to lose track of the here-and-now, cherishing it requires constant attention. Being present-minded allows us to fully enjoy the gifts of the moment and maximize our use of this precious time. Practicing being fully present is the subject of The Power of Now.
Tolle argues that humans can attain a higher state of awareness and discover lasting happiness by focusing on the here and now. He says that our minds are constantly preoccupied with the past or the future, and as a result, we miss out on the joys and riches of living in the here and now. He claims that the concept of ego, or one’s artificial sense of self. The ego is that part of us continually analyzing, criticizing, and fabricating narratives about our lives. Our fixation on the past and the uncertainty…
