The Present

The present. 

"We must give the present the space in which to exist." Author Christophe Andre sure has it right when it comes to this one. 

How often have you spent your present ruminating over the past or worrying about the future? Neither of which accomplishes anything. You can't change what has already happened, and you really have no idea what the future will bring. 

All you really have is the here and now. Of course, I'm a pretty practical person so I usually have some game plan in place for tomorrow. But the lesson learned is that I shouldn't take too much away from the present to worry about the future. 

The other problem with the present is that we are often times in such a hurry to get to the next thing that we completely ignore what is right in front of us. Trying to accomplish multiple things at one time in the long run is counter productive. 

The other day at work I was in such a hurry to get to the copier that I completely overlooked the yellow caution sign indicating a wet floor. The next thing I knew I was flat on my back having slipped on the clearly marked spot. Luckily, I was fine except perhaps for a bruised ego. 

The point is that if I was fully present in the act of walking, rather than attempting to read the papers I needed copied, I probably would have slowed down when I saw the sign. Think about how many things you miss along the way when you are not present. Being mindful is really the better way.