The Here and Now
Thanksgiving only just ended, but stores have been selling Christmas decorations since before Halloween even came around. If that’s not a metaphor for life these days, I don’t know what is. We are so focused on what’s coming next that we forget to enjoy what’s happening right now. It’s important to step back and look at what’s right in front of you. Of course, we all want to plan for the future and be prepared for what’s thrown at us, but that’s the thing about life: you never truly know what it’s going to send your way.
You can spend all your days planning everything out only to see it go differently over and over again. Then, in the midst of all your planning you have skipped over a large portion of your life. If you are preparing for Christmas in October, you are not going to enjoy Thanksgiving. Some don’t even acknowledge Thanksgiving at all and just jump straight to the bigger moneymaking holidays.
Every year, we hear ourselves and others say things like, “Wow I can’t believe how fast the holidays came and went.” When we were younger, we would spend months in eager anticipation of big events, counting down the days and savoring each moment. Now our heads are in the future while our bodies stay present, completely oblivious to their surroundings. Of course, it’s difficult to stay focused on the now. It’s something many people struggle with on a daily basis. However, it really is essential.
When you are 50 years old and looking back on your younger years, you will not want to come to the unsettling realization that you didn’t stop to appreciate anything. I am sure all your future concerns are completely valid, but don’t let them take over today. Look at what’s happening right now and take things one day at a time. You don’t want to miss a moment of it.