By Ethan Maurice | April 25th, 2018
Sometimes, people ask if that illness still affects me.
“Not that I notice," I usually reply, "except that I live more for now, as I don't know if I'll have later.”
Most people respond in defense of later.
“You can't just ignore the future! If you do, you might end up in a situation you don't like.”
Does it have to be one way or the other, though? Can we not divvy our focus between the two? Perhaps what I should say is, “Before the illness, I was focused primarily on the future, with an eye on the present. Today, I focus primarily on the present, with an eye on the future.”
I think I've got it right this time around. Because, despite our best attempts, nobody has ever actually left the present.
Here's a pie chart to better illustrate the point:
Even when we arrive in the future, we'll still be in the present.
For this reason, isn't it vital we learn to be in the present? If we're always focused on what's next, we can go our entire lives without ever arriving—always chasing what's next until there is no more next to chase.
Therefore, it's so important to recognize: now is the only place we'll ever be.
I've been chewing on this for a long while. And trying to act accordingly.
