On presence

“Unease, anxiety, tension, stress, worry – all forms of fear – are caused by too much future, and not enough presence. Guilt, regret, resentment, grievances, sadness, bitterness, and all forms of non-forgiveness are caused by too much past, and not enough presence.” – Eckhart Tolle

As we finish out the first month of this new year, I’m reminded of resolutions and change.  One of my resolutions is to be more present.  Like most people, there are days where I can’t help looking back with regret or looking forward with worry.

I know that looking back too much can hold you hostage to mistakes of the past and make you doubt yourself.  While stressing too much about the future can help convince you not to take risks out of fear.  Either mindset is unhelpful for mental health and for living a fulfilling life.

After stumbling across this quote, I realized that being more present and focusing on the now will help me cultivate a better mind space.  This doesn’t mean I won’t ever look back at my mistakes – I’ve gained knowledge from them.  And it doesn’t mean I won’t try to look to the future at times – I do need to plan ahead sometimes.  But, it means that the majority of my mind space will be in the present – where I can make changes and actually live.

Here’s to continuing our resolutions and focusing on the now.