I have been thinking a lot about mindfulness recently: the awareness of now, of the current moment. Most of the time, we sleepwalk through life. How many times have I seen a glorious October go by like the one just past and thought, "My God, when did the leaves fall off the trees?" We're so wrapped up in resenting the past and fearing the future that we forget that this moment - right now - is all we really have: the past is a ghost, and the future a fantasy whether it be fearful or full of promise.
Kids get this, I think. Most of them lack sufficient past experiences to regret them, and anything past the next minute or two is in the far future. I believe the key to true happiness is savoring and appreciating the present moment, and being fully in it. But how, one might ask, does one plan for the future if one is living in the moment? How does one learn from the past?
It's fairly simple in concept, much more difficult in the execution: we learn from the past without being attached to its pain, we plan for the future without being attached to outcomes, whether good or bad. This fills the present moment with the possibility of true joy because the human being who has nothing to lose gains everything.
When you leave the house or work today, look around at the day: there is beauty in the worst weather, and a brightness in the darkest night. Wake in gratitude in the morning, knowing that you've been given a great gift: another day on this great planet, another day to live in its fullness, another opportunity for joy.
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