As we pack into our momentary
experience unabridged smatterings of the past and imaginings of our potential
futures we think our minds and hearts are capable of such range in height,
depth, even uncertainty.
Past, present, and future are a
mammoth load. The present is enough for us to think about. Sometimes the
present doesn’t seem enough, though.
We grossly overestimate our conscious
capacities. Yet, we’ll unconsciously fall into this trap numerous times
daily—which is frustrating. We continue to remind ourselves, and continue to
need to, but we won’t ever solve this.
The world as it is, in our
experience, is big enough for one day.
The Complications Of Past And Future
Life is a complicated affair. But
it is ever more complicated by our virulent desire, at times, to venture back
into the past or explore the future in our thoughts. Sometimes it’s necessary.
But we incinerate many a moment’s
peace by indiscreet departures from the present.
It’s certainly our habit to give
up the present for thought of something more. But that ‘something more’ is a
mirage. Sure, we’re free to think what we want, but to give up the
present—which is something of a possession—for thoughts of the past or
imaginings of the future is usually unwise. It’s the surrendering of the wrong
sort of control. The best personal control is retaining conscious thought for
the present.
The more we can learn, and quicker
we can respond, to vacancies of awareness when we float off into the past or
future in our thoughts, the better.
Training The Awareness
Whenever life is getting big on us
we might reflect on whether thought for the past or future is impinging on the
present.
Training our awareness to be more
present-focused reconciles us to peace.
In this we need to necessarily
shelve our materialistic focus and elevate our spiritual focus. Enjoying the
present for what it is, not wanting any more or any less, is a sense of
spiritual wellbeing difficult to beat.
Training our awareness to be
attuned to the size of the world bigger than one day’s worth, so we can pick up
departures of thought, is worth our while. When we do this we find we can cope
with life, however hard it is, and, besides the worst of losses, no matter what
life throws at us.
***
Our world is big enough for one
day. When we pile on stressful thoughts of the past or anxious imaginings for
the future, both involving things we cannot control, we give up the present,
and we give up our peace. Our world is big enough for one day.
© 2012 S. J. Wickham.
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