Things Grayt People Do: Living in the Now, Living For The Future!

Often, the hustle and bustle of day-to-day life pushes us to live in tomorrow and not today—craving the sight of the masterpiece that is our life. Sometimes it’s not about seeing the masterpiece solely, life is about enduring the journey knowing we are a masterpiece.

During a recent retreat, I had the opportunity to live in the moment—no definite plans, a lack of clarity regarding routines, and unawareness of scheduling—enabling each moment to pass the baton of continuance to another moment, unaware of the exact specifics. Sometimes, that’s what it’s about! Living in the moment involves allowing each moment after the next to connect with each other without our unnecessary involvement with their connection.

Our present is a transition between our past and our future. Everything we have done in the past leads to this very moment and this very moment leads to the future—we can’t access the past nor can we access the future, the only thing we can access is NOW. It is our duty to acknowledge what we can be doing to better equip our “present” as a platform of our future.

Recent events and recent experiences are equipping me with the knowledge to strive for engaging in what is happening NOW, which assists in giving purpose to our present & depth to our present when it transcends to a “meaningful past” for our future. Below are three tips on living “in the” now, but living “for the” future:

1. Try something that requires your attention in the moment 100%: Engaging in activities that require all of your attention leaves you no choice but to live in the present. After you finish, reflect on your experience with a blog post, a simple conversation with a friend, or by giving a review on completed activity.
2. Engage in interesting conversation during your dinners and note your dinner discussions: Processing our social interactions is important; such practices give us a scope on our impact on those around us (Currently trying to practice this exact tip, as I recount my conversations during dinner with mi madre y mis hermanos).
3. Challenge yourself: There’s value in pursuing a challenge in the now. We develop the skills, lessons, and values integral to our future when we persevere, push through, and endure. Although you may not see it now, there’s value in knowing that you’re developing significant aspects to the future “you”!