“Be where you are, otherwise you will miss your life.”
– Buddha

I’m at a very different place in my life. I’m feeling pretty good and I think I know why. I’m happy about what I’ve accomplished in the past few months involving my writing and I’m looking forward to exciting things in the fall. That makes me feel pretty good right here, in the present. It got me thinking about where I spend most of the time, and what makes me happy there.

They say we shouldn’t live in the past – I get that. It’s over and done. But wait! There are some good things in the past that we shouldn’t just leave there; cherished memories, proud accomplishments, humorous occasions and hallmark moments. The past has gotten a really bad rap of late. I’m not sure we haven’t done it a disservice. We’ve been throwing out the baby with the bath water.

The future hasn’t fared much better. You can’t live in the future but you can live for the future but “they” (who are they anyway?) say you shouldn’t. How can you know what to do today if you don’t know where you want to end up? You can’t even drive your car for long without having a destination in mind. We need the future to give us direction. Besides, the future can contain even more good things, proud accomplishments, humorous occasions and hallmark  moments. It doesn’t deserve that bad rap either.

That leaves the present. I love that quote by Buddha! I’m here. How could you be anywhere else? What’s wrong with wandering in your thoughts to the past now and then, especially to retrieve some good stuff to motivate and affirm you? And what’s wrong with meandering into the future to check on the dreams you’re building? Isn’t that where the blueprints are?  I guess I’m living – everywhere – I’ve got a foot in the past, an eye on the future and I’m dancing in the present (well, OK, hopping around because one foot is in the past…you know what I mean!)

Where do you spend most of your time; the past, the future, or do you live right here in the present?

photo credit: Edgaa