I often find myself looking forward to future events: the weekend, a football match, a holiday, a phone call. When this happens I draw myself out of the present and along a path towards a particular future. Suddenly the choice of futures I have is limited, finite. The same occurs when I am worried about a particular event. I worry something may or may not happen and all the time I’m worrying, I’m drawing myself away from the present moment into a limited future.

However, when I stay in the now, my future is unlimited. Instead of worrying, I can come back to the now and all my fears disappear because I am no longer choosing a fearful future. Because I reside in the moment, my choice of futures is infinite. I will inevitably experience a future of some kind so why not relax, live in the here and now and enjoy the journey? I am not advocating a life of passivity here. There’s a difference between being preoccupied by a future event, and planning and working to achieve something in the future.

For instance, I am looking forward to returning to Germany, but instead of dwelling on the thought of one possible future I am trying to live in the moment and enjoy the present. At the same time I am preparing myself for my return; I am working hard to make sure I am ready for whatever lies ahead of me.

I particularly like the idea of returning to the now from a worried future. The worry evaporates as soon as I find myself back in the moment and I am once again faced with the reassurance of infinite futures.

Karaj acknowledged my writing: ‘It can be helpful for others to read, in order to see how the personal development process works. It is knowledgeable, interesting and flows very well.’ Thank you, Karaj.

Related posts: Drop Everything For A Moment | The Reality of Worry | Mindfulness