Post No. 58: Enjoy the Gift of the Present

One reason I’m writing this post is to remind myself.  Why do I, or you, need to be reminded to rest one’s mind and enjoy the moment as it comes?  It’s because we can.  We normally are lost in our own thoughts and the world we create with them.  Everyone is different and everyone sees the world from the point of view they’ve created in their minds.  But if we let our thoughts subside, if we let them rest, give ourselves a break from the world we create by our constant thinking, it is possible to enjoy the gift - of now.  

This is not a how-to instruction; I’m attempting to illustrate the nature of who we are as homo sapiens and appreciate one of both the advantages and disadvantages of our species: our ability to conceive the world in incredibly complex, abstract ideas.  This ability separates us from all other species, even the most “intelligent” such as, for example, great apes or elephants.  Some argue that another intelligent species might have the ability to vastly change their environment by their ability to conceive abstract ideas.  I ask them this - do you suspect, is there a scintilla of evidence, they are even pondering this same question?

Ok, now you know why I need to remind myself to get out of my head and enjoy the gift of the present!  Your mind probably doesn’t dwell on the same topics, but if you could observe your mind, you might notice how it runs on autopilot.  If you want to test this, try to sit quietly with no distractions for about a half-hour, see what you find out.   

The amazing thing is that if you are able to rest your mind deeply (not an easy thing to do), you will see for yourself the nature of who you are clearer.  Here are a few aha’s that might pop up for you:  

1. We create the world from our own thoughts.  Each person sees their world from their own perspective.  

2. Because one creates it with thoughts, one has more ability than is evident to change how one perceives things.

3. “Now” is all that exists; we make up present, past, future in our minds

4. We are not separate from everything around us. Why? We create “self”.  The idea of “self” cannot exist without things outside it, by definition.

5. What might emerge from these realizations is a more compassionate point of view of others, if one sees one is not separate.

 Of course there are certain facts we know about what we call reality.  All species evolve and have a survival instinct.  Societies exist and there are rules of right and wrong.  Humans have very complex societies, some are significantly different than others and have different ideas about what is right or wrong.  These moral perspectives have changed over time within each society.  For example, ideas about slavery, violence, government are much different in the West now than centuries ago.  Our view of the world is affected by many, many factors - where and when we were born and to whom, our health, our gender, our age, our intelligence, our genes, etc.  Thus, each person sees the world with their own unique view, but this view is affected by all these factors.  

So don’t worry about your thinking, it will always be there, just take some time to give it a rest.  Take the time to appreciate and enjoy the moment as it comes; it will always come until it doesn’t; it is always present, inexhaustible, always a gift ready for you.  Maybe spend time with your dog or cat, or whatever way you choose.   It’s cool we can do this, try it, you might like it.