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Living in the Present — A Morning Reflection

 

A Quiet, Beautiful Start

Good morning.
It’s 6:30 a.m., and I’ve just stepped out for a walk. It’s still dark, surprisingly milky and foggy, with a deep calm blanketing everything. Birds are chirping in the background—nonstop, as if in conversation.

The moon is in its last crescent stage, soon to disappear, fading gently with the dawn. The neighborhood is mostly asleep. A few joggers and walkers pass by. The road gets the occasional car.

There’s something about mornings—a charm you don’t find during the rest of the day. That moment when light begins to break through the dark—if you’re lucky enough to witness it—it’s truly magical.

Nature Lives in the Present

The birds are already out, fully present, fully alive. They’re not worried about yesterday, nor concerned about tomorrow. For them, today is the day—to search, to struggle, to live.

It made me think: why can’t we be like them?
Why are we, as humans, so tangled up in what’s behind or what’s ahead?

We have this mental faculty to reminisce about the past and imagine the future—but was that gift meant to take us out of the present?

Natural Laws Apply to All of Us

Nature doesn’t make exceptions.
If the laws of nature apply to animals, they apply to us too. Yes, we’ve been given a larger prefrontal cortex, and we can plan, analyze, and remember—but that doesn't mean the rules of existence are different for us.

All creatures live by the present.
Even in the face of pain or loss—like a mother animal watching her baby fall prey to a predator—they move on. There may be mourning, but it’s short. Life continues.

Why, then, do we dwell for years? Why do we let the past haunt us or the future paralyze us?
If we’re part of the same natural order, then we, too, should anchor ourselves in the now.

The Illusion of the Past and Future

We take ourselves out of the present moment, imagining some distant past or future, trying to relive moments that are gone, or worrying about possibilities that haven’t even arrived.

Both ends are illusions.
The past is memory. The future is imagination. Neither exists right now.

Was the purpose of our rational mind to pull us away from the present? That seems unlikely. Wouldn’t it make more sense to use that mind to deepen our connection to the moment we’re in?

Becoming One with the Moment

This morning, I’m walking. I see dew on the grass, feel the breeze brushing past, and hear the birds around me. There’s a tree in front of me—silent, still, fully present.

Imagine if I could be like that.
Just another part of this landscape—not rushing, not distracted, just being.

That’s a profound realization.
Maybe all our worries, responsibilities, goals—they’re important—but worrying won’t change outcomes.

Of course, planning has its place, but we can’t let it replace living. So, my new goal is simple:

Live the day. Squeeze life out of it. One moment at a time.

The Cycle of Goal and Emptiness

We chase goals, achievements, titles, finances. We hit one and quickly move to the next. There’s a momentary dopamine hit, and then it fades.

But what if instead of chasing fleeting highs, we could stay in a steady zone of contentment—a state of peace that comes from being deeply connected to the present?

Everything You Do is an Excuse to Escape the Present

Sometimes we say we’re doing things “for our kids,” “for our future self,” “for health,” “for career,” but truthfully, many of those are justifications.

They’re reasons we give ourselves to avoid the present moment, to run from the now, because being present is hard. It asks for honesty, stillness, and attention.

We aren’t always rational beings. We’re rationalizing beings.

So, How Do We Truly Live in the Present?

Here are five simple yet profound steps that I believe can help us live fully in the now:

  1. Realize the importance of the present moment.
    Truly internalize that this is the only time you’re guaranteed to have.

  2. Focus your energy on the moment itself.
    Don’t let your mental energy drift into the past or future.
    Bring your attention back to the now.

  3. Anchor yourself.
    Just like a tree puts roots into the earth, put your roots into the moment. Be here.

  4. Act from the present.
    Every decision you make—make it from now, for now.
    Let the future unfold as it will.

  5. Resist what pulls you away.
    Distractions, expectations, regrets—they’ll come. But say no. Say no to being dragged away from the one thing that’s real: this moment.

Conclusion: One Moment at a Time

So from now on, this will be my practice:

To be part of the present.
To live one moment at a time.
To let go of all that is behind and all that may lie ahead.
To root myself here—because here is where life is happening.

The moment that’s gone is gone. The one ahead may never come. The only justice you can do to life is to give your all to this moment.

Live by the rules of presence.
Respect nature.
Live in the moment, not for some distant past or future.

Be part of it.
Enjoy life.
Do only what justifies your presence in the moment—and resist all that pulls you away.

God bless us all.
May we all learn to live this way.