“Recently I have found myself racing in thought. Going through a global pandemic makes you really think about a lot of things. Some good and some bad.  Sometimes my mind is worried about the future as I wonder whether I have enough to take on another crisis, do I have enough money, is my health okay and so on. Sometimes the opposite happens and I think tomorrow is not guaranteed, let me live for the moment. As much as possible, I prefer to live in the latter frame of mind. The other mental state is stressful and is a huge source of anxiety. Why do we worry about things that have not happened yet? It robs us of mental tranquility. To a large extent, the measure of our peace of mind is predicated on how much we are able to live in the present moment. Regardless of what happened yesterday, the week before, last year and even what may or may not happen in the future, the present moment is where you are. You are not anywhere else. You are always here. At this moment. Right now. 

It’s not easy to live in the moment because quite frankly the world has done a shitty job of allowing us to calm down and just be. As humans we have perfected the art of worrying about multiple things at once. It’s like a negative version of multitasking. Problems that happened in the past, arguments that were left unresolved and future challenges that haven’t even happened yet steal the ability to live in the moment. Instead we learn to live in a perpetual state of stress and simply cope with it. In the end, we can end up depressed, anxious, frustrated and lost. We convince ourselves that by grinding away now, sacrificing now, postponing important conversations, delaying happiness that it will all pay off and that “one day” things will be better.

Perhaps this is the case. Sadly, what happens to many of us is that that “one day” never comes. Other stresses and pressures deny us of the mental energy to pursue happiness. While we stress about things that haven’t happened, life simply passes us by. Children grow up, parents age, friends move one and the fire between lovers fades. Our bodies get out of shape as we say, “one day” I’ll get fit. Next thing we know, life has slowly slipped as it takes our dreams and hopes along with it. 

 This is what happens to many people. We worry so much about what can happen in our life that we forget to live. Many people live life as if it were a dress rehearsal for a future performance. Imagine rehearing your entire life only to realize that the show has been canceled? That’s what can happen. The open day of the show you’ve been rehearsing for never comes. The reality is that tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. When you put this into perspective, you realize that now is all that matters. You are in control of now which ultimately gives the foundation for a future in which you can control as well. If we can focus our energy and attention to what is happening now, we can push back the doubt, fear and negativity from our minds. It is up to us to appreciate the current moment for what it is. It can be a learning lesson, a time of joy, a spark of inspiration and a moment to be cherished. 

As Mark Twain once said, “I have been through some terrible things in my life, some of which actually happened.” So try to be present. Don’t allow the failures of yesterday and worries of tomorrow deprive you of the joy of today. Today is a gift. Share it, enjoy it and live it!”