When are you living? 

When are you living? 

It may seem like a silly question. Of course, you are living right now! You can look at a calendar and tell me the exact date, and a clock, the exact time. 

But the reality is that most people are not living right now. They are living either in the past or in the future.  While they are physically located in the present, their mind has them living elsewhere.

If you live in the past, your mind is fixated on what has already happened. You are rehashing things that only now exist in history, which you have no control over. Dwelling too long here will often create feelings of sadness, guilt, regret, or longing.  

If you live in the future, your mind is fixated on a reality that doesn’t yet exist. This is where you play out potential scenarios that might happen and consider how they might make you feel when they do. It’s unproductive speculation that often is a significant cause of anxiety. 

If you live in the present, you are living. Being present with your mind enables you to do your best work and enjoy life to the fullest. When you are in the present, you don’t have regrets about the past or anxieties about the future. Because the ultimate truth is this: the present, this moment, is all we ever have. 

I’ll ask again – when are you living?