Why ‘Now’?

‘Recollection of memories’ and imagining the possible future is the most ideal pass-time known to human race. All our creativity and innovation is due to this. If you do not think of past or future, there will be no art, no story, no invention, no family, no society, no civilisation and no human supremacy. Ability to imagine and ability to remember things is one of the significant differential factor between human and other living beings.

Nothing one can achieve or even or be interested to achieve, if there is no memory or imagination. We as a race are progressing and making our lives easier only through these significant ability that nature has given us.

But…

When we think of past we remember some unpleasant incidents or missed opportunities. This makes our today unhappy or unpleasant. We wish to either forget that past or have an ability to switch off unless we need it for some reason. Similarly extrapolation of our current state to future to imagine how life would be tomorrow and finding the lacking in them makes our current state unhappy or unpleasant. We wish to whether or not think about that scary future or switch it off till we need it. Hence the ability to remember or imagine is the cause of our pain, distress, sorrow, worry and agony. We all want to be out of these unhappy and negative feelings but without losing our ability to progress as a human race but that is unnatural or against our inherent human nature and ability.

The most distinguishing ability that makes a human so powerful is the cause of its agony.

Isn’t it?

Problem is not the thoughts of past or future, problem is random scrolling of those thoughts. Problem is doing it without any purpose or goal. If you are thinking of past because you want to learn from it and fix if anything is broken, then its constructive activity. If you are thinking of future and coming up with action items to shape it better then its great. You are now bringing the past or future to your today, now and trying to make it better, nicer, beautiful.

Just like if you read one social media post of one friend every day, engage with your friend, make his or her life better while making your life better then its networking.

But just scrolling through the posts one after another without any engagement with any of those which would result in anything constructive for yourself or your friend is just wastage of time and energy killer.

If a ‘matter of past’ is bothering us , it’s because it is seeking attention in your present. Single out each of those matters to life, give that the time and attention that it deserves and act as required to make peace with the ‘matter of past’.

If a ‘thought of future’ is bothering us then, bring that to today and now. Give appropriate attention to it through proper planning and readiness. Make appropriate arrangements so that ‘thought of future’ finds itself safe.

Either live in the moment, ‘now’ or bring matters of past or thoughts of future to now and do justice to them. This will make like fulfilling and progressive.