Chapter 3,
Now is all there is.
Religious and philosophical text has always told us that living in the moment is the true path to sustained inner peace and happiness.
But is this practical with today's busy lives?
We have to make plans for the family or work,
Juggle our time and divide our attention across many areas,
All of which seemingly take us further away from the present moment.
Being more conscious of living and being happy and content in the moment doesn't mean that we never plan or structure our day,
Week or month.
In fact it's important to have things to look forward to as long as we don't become too reliant upon them.
In the same way it's healthy to reminisce and think about what has gone on before.
We just need to remember that it's how we look back that's important.
Being present simply reminds us that we are living our life right now.
As you read this,
Does your happiness depend on something that may or may not happen in the future?
If so,
You are basing your peace of mind on absolute uncertainty,
Not a great platform or foundation for inner peace.
It begins to sound like a lottery and we all know the odds on a lottery win.
Worrying is like praying for something you don't want.
My father once told me that almost everything that he had ever worried about has never happened.
It's not just my dad who realises the futility of worrying about the future.
Gandhi told us there is nothing that wastes the body like worry.
How many times have you worried yourself,
Sometimes to the point of illness,
About a certain situation and it never happened?
How many times have you said or thought I had nothing to worry about because the outcome was perfect?
On nearly every occasion that we are uncertain or anxious about the future,
The outcome is nothing like we thought it would be and actually turns out much better.
Quite often we even end up relieved that things didn't progress as we had hoped.
There have been many occasions when I was desperate for a particular outcome,
Only in hindsight to give thanks for a completely different conclusion.
But by that point,
How many moments have you lost never to get them back?
How many times have you not given someone who you love and care for your time and attention or your mood and theirs has been affected because you are worrying about something that just isn't going to happen and is taking you away from this moment?
If we begin to accept that worry and anxiety over future events take us further away from how we really want to feel,
Then what about regret or disappointment for something that has already happened?
Something that has gone forever?
In fact,
Something that doesn't even exist anymore?
Any amount of money or focus can't change what has already happened.
The only place it now resides is in our mind.
So in essence,
It is entirely up to us how we allow a past event or situation to make us feel.
It's now nothing more than a memory,
A wispy illusion where the storyline,
Characters and plot change and move depending on how we want to remember it at any particular point.
There are two ways out of any single thought,
But only one of them usually serves our best interests and yet very often it's not the one we choose.
But just like worrying about the future,
Regret or living in the past has a massive effect on our ability to be happy now,
To truly be free to live our lives.
This is beautifully wrapped in a verse from American author,
Barbara De Angelis.
The more anger towards the past you carry in your heart,
The less capable you are of loving in the present.
So when you think of something that has already happened and has gone forever,
Do you allow it to hang heavy?
Or are you able to liberate yourself by remembering the cherished memories or experience gained and move on?
Can you learn to recognise that in your bigger life picture,
Almost every event carries very little significance in how you can truly feel at any one time?
