MAKE THE MOST OF "NOW"

 

There is only one time that is important—now! It is the most important time because it is the only time when we have any power.

                                                                                              Leo Tolstoy

 

Just ponder: how much are we living in the present moment? Either we are consumed by thoughts of the past or apprehensions about the future. More often than not, we need to be in sync with the moment we are in.

 

Why does this happen? The main reason is "MIND NOISE". This noise is so loud that we cannot hear the rhapsody of current moments. Too many thoughts (beyond our control) keep on flooding our minds. 

 

I once attended a party thrown by a friend for sterling academic achievement by his son. Everyone was basking in joy. My friend told me, "Seeing my son doing this is nice. But I am unsure if he will do equally well in the future!!" Mind you, this is not an uncommon scenario. We are losing the fun of current moments for fear of the future. We must live in the moment and make the most of NOW. 

 

Moments well lived to create happy memories. Life to me is a sum of all moments – fully lived, fully savoured, fully connected. Do not ruin today with the anxiety of tomorrow. Someone said – "Life is like ice cream – eat it before it melts !"

 

Remember – Pooh and Piglet's conversation?

"What day is it?" asked Pooh.  "It is today", squeaked Piglet. 

Pooh said, "Oh, my favourite day".

 

Let me narrate a story. There was a girl. She was just about to get married the next day, and she's been planning everything for this wedding because it's a traditional place. The wedding is the next day, so she must make the final arrangement today. She lives in the forest. So, she went to finalize the arrangements for the wedding day. In her mind, she is busy making the checklist. First I must go to the cake maker. And after the cakemaker, I have to visit the dressmaker. After the dressmaker, I must see the priest go through my vows. And then, finally, in the evening, I will meet my beloved, and we'll have a cup of tea together. I look forward to tomorrow, 

 

And she was going through the forest to see the cake maker, the first appointment on the list. After moving a few steps inside the forest, right before she comes to a lion face to face. A Hungry Lion. She could feel its breath. Then, in that instant, the cake maker's appointment is gone. Then, the dressmaker was absent. The priest was not there. Even the beloved is not there. At this moment, ALONE. No time, future, intention, past, or identity.

 

Moral of the story: We need to "welcome the lion on our path" regularly to enjoy the moment and live the present first instead of staying lost in the future.

 

Eckhart Tolle said: "Unease, anxiety, tension, stress, worry - all forms of fear - are caused by too much future and insufficient presence. Guilt, regret, resentment, grievances, sadness, bitterness, and non-forgiveness are caused by too much past and insufficient presence." 

 

Own every present moment we are fortunate to be with. We are not to live forever. Every moment is slipping away to become our past. We must inhabit the present moments to savour Life at its fullest. 

 

I have seen many glued to their mobile phones while on a beautiful journey through nature (hills, ocean side) – missing out on the joy of the travel. We often don't enjoy the present moments under the pretext of being too busy. Socrates once said: "Beware the barrenness of a busy life". 

 

Living in the present moment is far more than I have been discussing. The spiritual gurus, our scriptures – have mentioned being AWARE of the present moment – MINDFULNESS.

 

In his profound book – Power of Now - famous author Eckhart Tolle says, "Life is now. There was never a time when your Life was not now, nor will there ever be."

 

Shrimad Bhagwat Gita enlightens us on this. Mindfulness is central to self-awareness. Such awareness can begin simply becoming aware of our physical reality, which can help us return to the fictional reality into which the mind often drags us. The next step is to become aware of our mind – what thoughts, desires and feelings are entering there and what positions they occupy in our consciousness. When we thus learn to mind the reason, we train ourselves to become alert to the motions within the mind. We can resist unhealthy or unsavoury impulses faster and better before they acquire an irresistible momentum. 

 

Take at least the first step. I understand it is not easy – but one can consciously attempt to be aware of oneself. Quoting Eckhart Tolle again, "Wherever you are, be there totally. If you find your 'here and now' intolerable and it makes you unhappy, you have three options: remove yourself from the situation, change it, or accept it."

 

CARPE DIEM is a phrase coined by Roman poet Horace and used extensively in ancient Greek and English literature. It is now a well-versed expression for many organizations. It means – SEIZE THE DAY.

 

These lines by Henry David Thoreau sums up everything –

"You must live in the present, launch on every wave, and find eternity in each moment. Fools stand on their island of opportunities and look toward another land. There is no other land; there is no other life but this." 

 

Carpe Diem!