Always live in the moment

I am realizing now, at 29, that we should live in the moment, especially the good moments, because we never know when we will experience them again. Also, when things go bad we end up looking at moments we took for granted and wish we were back there.

This is what I am going through now. I look back on certain moments in my life, moments I took for granted, even moments that I wish would end, and now I'm wishing I was back there.

I wish I was 19 again. Even with the turmoil I had then, it was trivial. I wish I was 19 again. I had the world ahead of me, I was old enough to be an "adult" but still young enough to not know what I wanted but still be able to explore my options. Instead I let my fear of rejection take over and chose a path that just put me back to square one today.

I wish I took more risks, and I wish I started therapy at a younger age. I would have saved myself a lot of the mistakes that I made.

I also wish I enjoyed the good moments instead of live in my anxiety. There were many good moments. Yes there were bad ones too but if I knew then what I know now (so cliché, I know) I'd be able to handle most of those things differently.

I would also enjoy my family and spent more time with my Dad. I would have not felt defeated and controlled all the time but instead took the negativity I had around me and used it to my advantage.

Then again, If I didn't go through all that bull****, I wouldn't be who I am now. I just wish I picked up on it sooner.

I miss the times where my biggest worry was "will I pass Bio 102?" I miss the time where family vacations took place, even when uninvited guests pushed themselves in. There are still certain events in my past I don't miss but where I am right now, I miss the stuff that I did take for granted.

Forgive me if im repeating myself but I wanted to share this thought as it came through. Never take any day for granted.

Thank you

My personal view is that we should live in the past (memory), present (awareness), and future (imagination) at the right times and in the right ways. Perhaps living in the present should take up 90%+ of one's time, but that depends on context. Everything in moderation.

The past and future can be misused. One can feel emotions such as guilt and regret regarding the past, and one can feel anxiety and fear regarding the future.

However, one can use the past and future well. One can cherish the good memories of the past as an aid in realizing tranquility and meaning, and one can have an optimistic sense of future possibilities as a way of training oneself for the future. Just for example.

I recommend getting into a proper relationship with past, present, and future, and learn how to make these work for you instead of against you.


eudaimonia,

Mark

Thank you for your input. I think what I was really trying to say was not to take certain moments in life for granted.

Eudaimonist - that's an impressive, healthy/balanced attitude. Kudos to you!

I am mostly focused in the present - it's where life is most dynamic; where we can most influence and help shape how life affects us.

(From Lao Tzu)...
"If you are depressed you are living in the past. If you are anxious you are living in the future. If you are at peace you are living in the present."

[wstein]

Living in the 'now' is often misunderstood. It does not mean to live only in the moment (without any regard for other times, past or future). It also does not refer to a singular time. Living in the now is about being present to and living in that which actually is. In other words, respond to things actually affecting you currently. Part of this is to let go of the past you can't change and another part is not reacting to might-be's from the future.

For instance, one typically needs to leave for an appointment before the time of that actual appointment. At that moment of leaving for the appointment, one has made the appointment in the past. That appointment has affected you more than once from the future. This is all part of being in the now (even though its spread over time).

[Emmalevine]

Excellent realisations and it's wonderful that at age 29 you have such strong awareness and appreciation of life. It's something many people don't find out until they're much older.

Originally Posted by Starbuck

Excellent realisations and it's wonderful that at age 29 you have such strong awareness and appreciation of life. It's something many people don't find out until they're much older.

Thank you. Im still learning and I hope I can see the good in the bad moments im having right now.

[Beautiful Soul]

Yeah, living in the moment is very important. I've been living more in the moment the last couple of months than any other time in my life :)

You can look backwards with: (1) Fondness, wishing you were there, (2) Regret, tormenting yourself about what could have been or (3) As lessons that you can learn from in your present day.

You can look forwards with: (1) Hope, seeing that someday things will work themselves out, (2) Despair, Seeing that there is no point in continuing or (3) As a goal for what you can accomplish through the present day.

Looking to the past or future for their own sake, for the good or bad, produces stagnation. Don't LIVE in the past or future. Don't say 'I used to live' or 'Someday I'll live'. LIVE in the present. Use the past and the future, however, to fuel your present. Don't forget the mistakes you've made or you'll be doomed to repeat them. Keep a vision in your mind of where you want to take your life. That's how you keep on your path and that's how you make your life in the present worthwhile.