Imagine a world where children are taught that to live a good life,
They must continuously submerge themselves underwater,
Moment after moment,
Holding their breath as long as possible.
The longer they stay submerged,
The more they believe they're growing.
So,
They dive deep,
Emerging only briefly for air and sunlight,
Before diving back under again.
As they grow,
Others add weights to their shoulders,
Sometimes out of necessity,
Sometimes because others don't want to bear the weight themselves.
All this demanding mastery of submergence.
Some become so skilled at holding their breath that they begin teaching others the art of submersion,
Believing they have found the key to life.
They may even create new techniques,
Such as taking extra breaths before sinking back down.
It is also possible that they become so skilled that they learn how to profit from being extra competent in non-breath work.
Here,
Breathing in itself as a means of fluid experience is often neglected and even ridiculed by many members of the diving public.
Imagine too,
A common belief that only after death will they no longer have to hold their breath,
Trusting a deity will keep them above the water after they die,
Allowing them to breathe freely forever.
Additionally,
Others suggest that if you spend your life submerged in improper ways or don't come up for air enough,
You are destined to live eternally being held under,
Without ever experiencing air and sunshine again.
What if,
Instead of waiting for death,
We practiced living in the sunshine now?
What if we breathe freely and embrace life as it is,
Above?
The strong connection to life,
Growth,
And communication is what makes us human,
Yet the compulsion to think without restraint has an unmistakable drowning quality that requires an awakening to.
The ego finds comfort in misery and clings to wishes and nostalgia.
The mind mistakenly dwells while the heart endures great pain.
Deep within,
Something in you rejects this suffering and your thoughts revolt with endless questions and reactions.
Yet,
Nothing is more potent than the present moment.
There is no place more crucial than here and now.
While time has its practical uses,
Such as scheduling or communicating,
Beyond its practicality it also expands narratives,
Self-made problems,
Judgments,
And everything else that constitutes the ego.
Without memories and anticipations,
The ego loses its place to dwell.
By disengaging from the concept of time,
Suffering begins to dissipate.
So often,
We hope that uncovering our past will lead to a breakthrough,
That understanding our conditioning will offer a cure.
Yet the real remedy lies in appreciating the present moment.
Then we can begin to let go.
Constantly creating stories and dwelling on memories projects a self that never resides in the one authentic reality,
Leading to an escalating sense of fear.
Even our most accurate memories are colored by emotion and rarely reflect the truth entirely.
Typically,
These recollections don't influence the present productively,
Instead they cloud the moment and hinder progress.
As for future projections,
They exist only in the imagination,
Anticipated through the lens of past experiences,
Present conditions,
And momentum.
When you continually strive for more,
Craving extravagant results in another time,
You live in a state of constant wanting.
While you might obtain material objects that provide temporary satisfaction,
It creates a habit where greed and desire dominate,
And the allure of results overshadows the vision and value of meaningful action.
Without learning to find satisfaction in the present,
You'll never experience a true sense of fulfillment,
Leading to confusion and eventually an identity crisis.
However,
Embracing the present moment doesn't mean losing your purpose.
Instead,
Your purpose will become more authentic.
Whenever you find yourself projected into the past or future,
Take a moment to notice this shift.
Recognize that dwelling on thoughts tied to time will inevitably create feelings of inadequacy and obscure your view of reality.
Observe these thoughts,
Then pause and watch your mind,
Always aware that you exist beyond the confines of time.
