The Here And Now

We have all heard that life is meant to be lived in the present moment. There are many books on the market referring to the "Power of Now" and how present focus is the only way to reach fulfillment. Many eastern philosophies teach this concept as a basis of their discipline.

Without getting into any of the specifics, this outlook holds a great deal of weight. Most people miss their entire lives because of the fact they are always "off somewhere else". Human beings tend to be masterful projectors in the sense that we are usually looking ahead to some future point in time. Sadly, when we do this it is associated with the emotion termed "worry". This is because people tend to project in the negative. What I mean by this is that when we look ahead, we often envision the situation resolving itself in a negative manner.

If we want to look at this in the nth degree, we need only to notice how people approach the afterlife. Most of the world's religions contain the promise of some form of eternal salvation after death. Of course, to achieve this, there are a series of things that one must do before attaining this status. Therefore, it is beneficial to consider all the time and money spent by individuals and groups in an effort to attain something that has never be proven to exist.

In this instance, people cease looking at the here and now and concentrate their efforts on a mystical time after death. My outlook is one where we only have a certain number of hours on this planet so why waste it on something that is not guaranteed. Of course, the religionists will have my head for making that statement but it is factual. What I can guarantee is that you have this life on this planet right now. That is for certain and it is up to you to determine how you live it.

Time is a creation of man. If we look at other species in the Animal Kingdom we realize they do not operate under the same parameters. Can you picture a cat worrying about when it will die? How absurd. Death is something that is promised to every living thing. Yet humans, with our profound wisdom and advanced intelligence are the only living creature that fears death. Thus we spend a great deal of time trying to alter that reality.

My point is that now is the only time you have. Happiness and fulfillment is found in the moment. What are you doing today? Are you even in today or is your mind off worrying about something in the future or regretting something you did in the past? Guilt and worry are two emotions that people spent a lot of time engaged in which are a total waste. Like the old saying goes "you cant change the past and the future is not here yet". In other words, those two aspects of time really mean little. The present is what is truly important.

So, how do we apply this? It all starts with being present focused. Concentrate your mind upon the tasks that you are presently doing. Whatever you are engaged upon, enjoy it to the maximum. That is where life's rewards are found. It is interesting to note that when we are truly engaged in something, time ceases to mean anything. We simply are wrapped up in the moment. Sex is an activity where many tend to lose themselves (perhaps I should say good sex). The feelings experienced override any concept of time.

The world offers many wonderful pleasures at each moment. If one is mindful enough to appreciate what exists, life can take on a new meaning. Most spend their days looking forward to another time. How often do we meet people who are looking forward to retirement. Of course, when we meet people who are at the point, they are continually looking back at "the good ole days". This shows how people remove themselves from the present moment which creates dissatisfaction.

Another old axiom is that there is no guarantee for tomorrow. Many will go to bed tonight only to not wake up tomorrow. This past week both Steve Jobs and Al Davis passed away. Their hours on this planet expired. Where did they go, if anywhere. I cannot answer that. Nevertheless, the two men were examples of people who didnt waste their time here. They went after their dreams and desires. Waiting until tomorrow was not an option for them. Instead, they took each moment and used it for what they could.

What mark are you making on your life or the world? Do you spend your time wishing your life away in hopes that tomorrow will be better than today? It is ironic that, for the majority of people, tomorrow is a carbon copy of today. In other words, they forgo the present in hopes of a better future only to realize that life does not work that way. Making the most of the here and now is the only way we will ever create a different tomorrow. Jobs and Davis exemplified this.

This is your life. What are you going to do with it? You can choose to waste it or make the most of it. Focusing in a time other than the present is one way to ensure it is wasted. And this is something I hypothesize you do not want. Therefore, resolve to change it now.
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Projection

Fear is something many are dealing with at the moment. People are in difficult situations which seem to offer no solution. We know that many are facing the loss of their homes while many others might end up following suit if unemployment increases too much. This is a reality that we are going to have to cope with.

I was sitting yesterday with someone who just lost his job. The company he worked for is experiencing a serious loss in revenue due to the slowing of the economy. Like most, they are being forced to cut back. The gentleman that I talked to was one who was let go. Sadly, it was through no fault of his own since he was a good employee for them. Again, circumstances necessitated this action.

Obviously, this individual was filled with fear. He was worried about meeting his financial obligations without the steady paycheck. This is a legitimate concern. He will need to develop some type of plan to survive this ordeal.

In chatting with him I was able to pinpoint exactly what his issue was. As you can imagine, fear is his overriding emotion at the moment. There is a lot to be scared about. However, as we all know, fear never solves anything. Listening to this emotion only serves to paralyze us from moving forward.

Most would think that this man just needed to get over the fear. That would be true if that is what his problem was. What was affecting this individual was his negative projection. That is what was causing his fear. Anytime we leave the present moment, we establish the basis for fear to exist. It is impossible for fear to enter our mindset if we are in the present moment.

I know this sounds a bit hokey but bear with me. Fear exists solely in the mind. It is a device the mind uses to maintain control in a situation. The mind likes the status quo and will do all it can to keep us from changing. However, for fear to be present, there needs to be a comparison. So, the mind looks to a future point in time and brings that projection back to the present. Hence, we have fear.

Let us look at how this man did it. He lost his job. That is the reality of the situation. This event caused the mind to consider the future with a negative viewpoint. He instantly jumped to the time when he would not be able to make the house payment (next month or the one thereafter). Then, to compound it, he went further into the future to see the bank taking his house. These events he experienced mentally in the present.

Other than losing the job, did any of this happen? No it did not. The entire scenario is a figment of his imagination. It made it all up. Could this transpire the way he envisioned it? Certainly. However, as of this moment, he is still current on his mortgage and living in his house.

I need to make one thing clear: staying in the present moment does not mean that we stick our head in the sand and ignore the world around us. Having the Pollyanna attitude with everything is a bit foolish. In this instance, there are actions this individual will need to take. However, staying in the present moment allows his to think rationally while maintaining some peace about him. That is crucial for surviving any ordeal. Survival experts teach how remaining calm is the key to survival. I agree 110%. Sticking to the present moment fosters a calm outlook. It is then that we are able to begin working on the solution to our problems.

One final thought about projection. Notice that when someone does project, it is most often in the negative. They never seem to look at a situation and think how wonderfully it all will turn out. Instead, they tend to go to the "worst case scenario". If you are going to project, does so in a positive fashion. See everything working out to your benefit. This single alone will begin to lay the foundation for an improved situation.
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