Living in the moment

Day 31

"We're so busy watching out for what's just ahead of us that we don't take time to enjoy where we are." Bill Watterson

The quote "Comparison is the thief of joy" has been repeated many times and I think it resonates deeply with most of us. The idea of looking something else that exists to see what you are without can be very detrimental. However, I think the same can be said in how we engage with time in our lives. The constant pursuit of living outside of the present moment can steal us from who we are right now, blinding us from all that is good currently in our lives.

Our society promotes acceleration - tackling the next goal, moving to a new relationship, or making some sort of "big" move that will set the tone for the future. We then move at such a fast pace, that we can abruptly and randomly find ourselves looking back to our past because we did not pace ourselves in our movements. People can then find themselves in a see-saw motion of looking to the future, but then looking back at the past. It's almost a tip-toeing of two non-existent things - the stuff that hasn't happened yet, and the stuff that is no more.

Life requires a balance of reflection and forethought. We are who we are by learning from our past selves and being excited for the manifestation of our future selves, but when it comes down to it, all that really is, is in this very moment. When we sit in what once was for too long, we lose sight of what could be. Simultaneously, when we focus on what could be next, we do not appreciate what is in front of us right now to take us into our futures.

I think it is very important to live in gratitude for what once was, what will be, but also for all that I can create right now. Who am I right now is on the heels of that person before, and that person ahead of me is guided by the person I am today. If I choose to never neglect the current moment, every moment before will be a lasting memory, and every moment to come will be even sweeter.