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PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE TENSE

Written by: Jonathan Payne

Article Overview: Worrying about the future is another energy-wasting occupation. Preparing for the future is wise – but worrying about it is foolish.

PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE TENSE

I wonder how much energy we waste by spending it on two things about which we can do nothing – regretting the past and worrying about the future?

Time is arranged into past, present and future. The past is, well, past. We can do nothing about it. Our lives are written in indelible ink. Once the story is put down, it can’t be altered. And yes, in that story there will always be those things we regret, which are embarrassing, which could have been done better. We may not be particularly proud of some parts of our story – but they are part of our story. No matter how much energy we spend regretting past actions, nothing will change them. The story we have written needs to be “taken as read”. We learn from our past, and move on.

Worrying about the future is another energy-wasting occupation. Preparing for the future is wise – but worrying about it is foolish. Worrying about the future is a sure way to spoil the only reality we have – the present. For many people, right now could be a wonderful moment. But they will never experience how good this moment is because they are using it to worry about what might happen in the future! We look forward to a good future. But when the future becomes the present, we worry about the future – and so the good future never comes. How much time and energy is wasted worrying about things that never happen? Just think what we could do if we invested that time and energy constructively.

By all means, prepare for the future. The best way to prepare for the future is to take care of the present. If you use the present moment to its’ fullest, seizing the opportunities and experiences it offers, then it will be a good foundation for the future. Good use of the present leads to a good future. Wasting the present, by regretting the past and worrying about the future, will almost certainly lead to our fears being realized since we build the future based on a foundation of worry and regret.

Try watching your thoughts today. See if you can catch yourself either worrying about the future or regretting the past. Thoughts are strange things. Once we become aware that we are thinking them, they tend to go away. Being aware of unhelpful thoughts about the past or the future helps us move off them. Don’t judge yourself for thinking them, otherwise they will become one more thing to add to the list of worries and regrets. Just be aware of them and don’t dwell on them – notice them and let them go. And then focus on doing the best you can with what is happening right now.

Perhaps the best way to enjoy life’s journey can be summed up in three principles:
Let go of the past. Make use of the present. Have hope for the future.

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Article Tags: experiences, fears, future time, good foundation, indelible ink, occupation, present moment



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