You Only Need to Focus on the Present
Welcome back to Mid-Week Meditations , Lifehacker’s weekly dip in the pool of stoic wisdom and a guide to using its waters to meditate and improve your life.
This week’s selection is taken from the book of Marcus Aurelius and his Meditations . He recommends that you focus not on the past or the future, but only on the present:
“Don’t let the panorama of your life depress you, don’t get hung up on all the different troubles that may have happened in the past or may happen in the future. Just ask yourself in every case of the present: “What is in this work that I cannot bear or support?” You will be ashamed to make such a confession. Then remind yourself that it is not the future or the past that weighs on you, but always the present – and the present burden is lessened … “
What does it mean
Don’t let the sheer scale of your life hold you back. Don’t focus on the troubles of the past and don’t worry about what might go wrong in the future. Focus on yourself right now. Is there something in this very moment or in this particular task that you cannot handle? Probably not, because you know you can get through it. Remember, you should not carry the weight of the future or the weight of the past. Let this burden fall and the weight of the present becomes much lighter.
What to take from there
We tend to focus on where we have been and where we are going, but we do not think enough about the present. But all that really matters is now, because that’s all there is. The past is only memories, recordings, or recordings, and the future is just assumptions based on these things. You are never in the past or the future, so why waste so much time and energy on it?
When life gets tough or you are trying to tackle some difficult work, remember to stop and get rid of useless burdens like the past (it is unchanging) and the future (it is unpredictable). Don’t get hung up on your whole life or on a certain segment in general, and don’t wonder how you will cope. Look at this very moment, right now. Can you survive this moment? Yes. Okay, how about this? Of course, it doesn’t differ much from the previous one. And this one? Again, yes. You see, the only load you have to carry is a gift, and you are definitely strong enough to lift it. You do this all your life, and then a little more.
Life is a long journey, a marathon of experience. How to cover such a long distance? Taking step by step. Focus on your current step – not mistakes you have made or steps you may need to take in the future – and you will get where you need to go.