Living in the present is real living
abracad, · Categories: externally authored, purpose, spiritualityBy Lt Col R K Langar
Many of us do not realize the value of living in the present. They feel that present will not give them the happiness they are looking for. Happiness for them lies in remembering some happy moments of the past. They also hope that the future will give them thrilling moments which the present has eluded them thus far. Not only that they also have some regrets of the past and anxieties for the future due to which they do not understand the value of living in the present moment.  Living in present is the real living because the good doings of the present will not only neutralize ill doings of the past but shall also make your future an affair to remember. What we are now are the effects of our past deeds and what we do now shall have a direct bearing on the quality of our future life. Time wasted now in remembering the past or imagining the future can be usefully invested in living in the present.
What does living in present mean?
Past, present and future are three phases of life. Past is not available to us except that it can be remembered, future again is not available to us as it has yet to come. So what is available to us is only the present which in fact is a period fully under our control to utilize it to the best of our ability. So we should live in present as present is more powerful than past and future. Not only we should live in present, we should love the present, enjoy the present, explore the present and invest in the present. We should treat the present as a present from God to us. We should live in present mindfully without any excitement to make the present positive and creative.
Life is not any competition with others as most of us may think. Life is our own journey which is meant to be enjoyed and relished every moment. Life provides plenty of situations and opportunities to those who want to learn and live every moment of it mind fully. Life can be compared to a river which just flows and flows towards the ocean. Similarly we should flow in life, remembering God Almighty, doing something useful for others, nourishing those who come in our contact giving them happiness and exchanging positive energy with them. As river has a goal to merge in the ocean so we should have a goal to become God like. When the goal is to be one with God, we should lay utmost emphasis to purify ourselves while enjoying our journey. Do set a goal in life but do not get too anxious to achieve the goal otherwise the journey 0f life would become boring and disinteresting. To maintain newness and interest in life we must grow inwardly while moving along the journey of life. Life is beautiful only when we acquire beauty and virtues inside us. Therefore keep on learning and practicing divine virtues till they get into your blood and are manifested in your conduct. By doing so we annihilate our negative traits and our journey of life is converted into divine life. This is only possible when we live in present purposefully with enthusiasm. Investing in present means that the present is dedicated to a higher ideal. When you perform only good deeds life becomes a celebration. Life becomes a celebration when you realize that you are essentially a soul and all beauties and values are inside you. Then you work on yourself and manifest them. You become powerful from inside with plenty of energy. Higher the goal of life, more energy you generate which should not be invested in unproductive channels. This is how you live in your own terms investing in the present which also means becoming more and more aware of our inner world or inner beauties and values. Once you are aware of your pluses these can be further enhanced. Observe your thoughts and also observe your reactions towards the negative behavior of others. Do not react to what others say for remaining in a positive state of mind.
Past is past
Past is past and however hard you may try, you cannot revisit it. We should put a full stop on the past. One thing is certain that those who remember past or talk about the past are not doing anything worthwhile in the present. The practice of remembering and talking about the past is found most prevalent in senior citizens who are in a habit of passing the time (time pass) and not utilizing time purposefully. There are also impressions of sensual enjoyment of the past which push you to recreate them in the mind. So there should be no Action Replay of past sensual enjoyments. It is a waste of time. Some time you feel that you could have some better in the past had you tackled the situation differently? Instead of remembering the past episode do everything carefully now to obtain better results. Learn from the past and apply it the present. Instead of cursing the past, make the best use of present. Whatever I do good in the present will create fortune for me in the future in accordance with the law of Karma emphasizing on cause and effect. Make changes in the regrets of the past and utilize these in the present for obtaining better results. If your mind still goes back to the past out of sheer habit, then you should recollect your blessings of the past. This should only be done till such time when you get over the inclination to remember the past. When you do not remember the past, you automatically forget those who have hurt you in the past.
Future has yet to come
Number of people waste their time in worrying about the future. Worry or anxiety for future dissipates energy. Worrying about future is as bad as remembering the past. Worrying about future gives you a feeling of helplessness besides giving some apprehension of unexpected trouble which may not even come at all. Develop an unfailing conviction that if I do well in the present my future shall be good. This shall remove the fear of future and shall motivate you to live in present and do your best. Neither you should predict your future nor go to an astrologer to know your future. The spiritual energy within you anchored on the divine virtues imbibed by you can dictate the outer conditions. Also life would be boring if your future is known to you. Create your future by good deeds of the present. The Gita says that the doer of good shall never meet a sorrowful end.
Conclusion
Live in the present, do good in the present, enjoy the present, negotiate the problems which you face in the present and you shall ever remain cheerful, enthusiastic and helpful for others. Living in present makes you alert and positive which is a sure sign of becoming a good person who is God loving and not God fearing.
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Filed in: externally authored, purpose, spirituality
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