You don’t need to be a psychology major to know that everyone seeks a prescription for happiness. Some find their way through religion. Many find it in a (perhaps inanimate) companion. Others find it in therapy, self-help books, or drugs. Some people shop. Most of us, however, relinquish the weight of the past by looking forward toward the future, in hopes of better days to come.
When we were children, it didn’t take much to keep us happy, and living in the moment was simple. Yet, as we grow older and our lives become more complex, happiness feels less attainable and living in the now seems impulsive and unpractical. We have more to worry about, more to anticipate. Along with scrutinizing ourselves for past actions – wondering if we did the right thing or made the right impression – we often wonder, with similar stringency, what the future holds.
The tendency to look backward and forward for clarity is prevalent in everyday life. We anticipate what to say next in conversation. We get anxious over midterms. Some of us are clouded with resentment over past experiences only recently understood. Looking to the future allows us to move away from a present that is possibly unbalanced.
Yet, between the uncertainty of the future and the harrowing solidity of the past, there lies the often neglected present. Quite appropriately named, the present does not allow us to ruminate upon where we have been or where we are going; it invites us to just be. It realizes that yesterday is just a reflection and tomorrow is only a vision, and recognizes the uncertainty of both. The present allows us to construct happier experiences that can be used to enrich both past and future.
Bringing our own awareness to the present can allow us to fully experience it without the excess weight of considering the future or the past. The moment we can let go of being cognitively pulled toward opposite directions of time, appreciation will grow, paving the way to a brighter future. Don’t just study to eventually get a degree; learn to enjoy the experience of acquiring intelligence. Don’t walk just to get from Point A to Point B; walk to experience the outside world, and your body’s own adaptation to it.
If our own cells regenerate, than obviously time changes us. We aren’t the same people we were yesterday and there’s no realistic way to fully prepare ourselves for what’s ahead. So perhaps happiness can stem from letting go of the needless worry by enjoying the present and experiencing what is happening right in front of us. Is it possible that focusing our full attention on our own current conditions – our breathing, the feeling of our clothes, the colors we see, the feelings we experience, how we communicate with ourselves – is necessary for really enjoying ourselves in the moment?
Focusing on the present is not easy. It requires some major rewiring of the mind. It’s difficult to surrender your control over the future and responsibility for the past. It just seems like the present is far more applicable.
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