Do you live in the past, present, or future?

I am still in New Mexico, but I was thinking about this question and thought I would share it with you and check in.

I know that the literal answer is the present - we can only really live in the present until time travel is perfected.

But what about our minds - our thoughts? Are you stuck in the past? Always jumping ahead to the future? Or are you a "be here now" kinda gal/guy?

I think I suffer from futuritis - thinking too much about the future. I have a hard time being here now. Even here in New Mexico, I am constantly mentally jumping out of the frame and into something I don't need to be thinking about right now. I'm planning, planning, planning in my head. Once I have a plan, I plan again.

It is a sickness, I am sure. Does anyone have a quick cure?

What about you? Past, present or future?

I met a local Gila artist who seems very present oriented. He does his art. Is pleased when you buy something but is not eager. Leaves his studio open when he is not there and invites people in anytime. He works in the moment. Or that's the way it seemed to me.

Comments

[mel]

http://amberstar.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=123799
Sppoky coincidence - this landed in my podcasts yesterday.

[Nick Smith]

Me too Lisa.
So many possibilities, so many things to do... it sometimes doesn't seem fair to have to pick and choose!

For me, I think it's been all about giving myself permission....... permission to stick around in the present and enjoy all those things I'd previously planned.  Strange as it might seem, my endless planning turned out to be a mind-game I played on myself to avoid having to accept all the wonderful things that were being handed to me on a plate, free gratis.

Having said all that it's still a habit, although at least I do see it now.

Enjoy yourself in New Mexico.

[VASILIS]

I think many of us, meaning people(like me) reading your blog regularly suffer from futuritis.

some ideas for cure:
1.conciously cut the input one day of the week.
2.conciously make a routine to ask yourself the 3 questions:what i m thinking NOW? what i m feeling NOW? what i m doing NOW?.Every day 3-4 times.
3.conciously try to see yourself as a player, a protagonist in a film which is shooted in slow motion.

generally:we need some distance from ourselves in order to live-think-feel really NOW.

[Lisa Haneberg]

It's good to see I am not alone - or is that really not so good! :-)

Yes, it takes some discipline to be here now.

The place where I am staying in Gila, NM, is run by a very nice couple. I can see differences in how they manifest living here and running this B&B Casita compound.

I reminds me that we take our behavioral styles with us on vacation, retirement, and to whatever is next.

We will be the same stressed out type A person in a wilderness hideout unless we intently alter our state.

[Sudha Iyer]

If you get a chance do read the book "The Power of Now" - by Eckhart Tolle.

[Blaine Collins]

Hi Lisa,

I believe I lived much of my life as a futurist; looking forward to the possibilities. I was especially fond of thinking about how my life would be when I reached the age I am now. Now that I am here, I'm happy to say that I spend much more time living for today than looking for tomorrow. I enjoying this new outlook, but it makes me wonder whether a decade from now I will become prone to looking back.

Interesting question. Thanks.

P.S. Hope you got out of New Mexico before the weekend deluge!

[Lisa Haneberg]

Sudha, thanks for the book recommendation. I have heard of this book, but have not read it.

Blaine, I am still in New Mexico. The weird thing about the rain in the southwest is that it is highly localized. While there is lots of rain - too much rain - in some areas, others do get any rain. Gila has not gotten much rain at all. That said, I do need to look forward to where I am traveling to make sure the roads are passable as there is lots of flooding of rivers, creeks, and arroyos.

[Rhea]

I have the same difficulty with always living in the future. I realized only a short time ago how much of the present I miss when I do that. A few years ago I attended a service at the Agape Church in Los Angeles. (FYI: I am not a churchgoer and in fact I'm Jewish; a friend of mine introduced me to Agape.) Agape is famous for its 1,000-person services. The minister talked about how people in L.A. especially live in the future -- what if I get that part, when will I find an agent, etc. etc. That talk was well-timed for me because I had been thinking about much I wait for things to happen rather than living now. Another thing that helps is I got a puppy (no kids, but a puppy). Dogs live in the moment and I try to get in synch with him. When we're out I try not worry too much about where we have to be next, etc.

[Lisa Haneberg]

Rhea:

How right you are that dogs help us live in the present. I will say this, however, my dogs do sometimes live in the future. They know that on days when both Bill and I are home, they are likely to get a walk (we have 4, so walking when one of us is out of town is tough and they know not to expect it - they do have a back yard). All morning, they watch our signals and what we do. They experience anticipation, for sure.

That's not too far into the future, just a few hours or usually less because they drive us insane until they get their walk. Learned behavior on their part - and ours - I am sure.

[Jason Womack]

We succeed when we acknowledge we work and play in different “time zones” - Past, Present and Future. They are keys to our success.

THE PAST
Looking at past successes is a great way to get enthused as well as create positive energy and motivation. In a seminar I delivered for a golf company, an instructor and former golf pro said that when the going gets tough, he goes into the trophy room of his house. He shared with the group, “I have trophies I’ve won, as well as some photos of me when I’m doing well, up on walls. Every time I see them, I remember, I did it once before, and I can do it again.” I agree with his strategy of using visual milestones to stay inspired. I personally have an area in my office with my triathlon race photos and metals hanging on the wall.

Visualizing something different from current reality is a skill you can practice, and an extremely valuable habit to create. It is different from “future fantasizing” or living out of the present. It is the process of preparation. If you have done something once, chances are high that you can repeat that performance!

THE PRESENT
A key to your success is to continually come back to where you are. There is power in the present. Change never happens in the future, it always starts now. In fact, you are practicing for change right now … or not. You will learn a lot about yourself, and the process of reaching your goals, as you look at your present situations.

An interesting way to spend your time, present moment to present moment, is to keep a “time log.” Write, in 15-minute increments, the blocks of time from morning to night-time. Then, during the day, actually fill in, for each 15-minute block of time, what you are doing. At the end of three days of this, you will have an excellent perspective of your use of your “present.” In my experience, I learn about the time I invest in high-value and low-value activities.

THE FUTURE
We all think about the future. It’s natural, exciting…and fun! Using our imagination, we image-in pictures that we want to come true. This is positive visualization.

Have you ever been known, however, to image-in pictures of things you want to avoid?

In fact, some people are more motivated to image-in negative scenarios, and tolerate negative scripts when they talk to themselves.

A way to maximize the process of “thinking about the future” is to take time, on purpose, to focus on what you want. Clearly define and visualize it. You can do this with words – actually writing on sheets of paper or note cards. You can do this with pictures – drawing or cutting photos out of magazines. You can do this audibly – by recording yourself reading motivational or inspirational quotes. I’m currently reading a book called The Mind Map Book (by Tony Buzan, with Barry Buzan), which has great insights into how this all works.

One key is to re-view (over and over and over again) those images you’re moving toward. The more you image-in what you want, you’ll begin identifying yourself as the self you already are. Use your past, acknowledge your present, and expand into your future.

[Lisa Haneberg]

Jason - Wow, thanks for the meaty comment. I think your idea of recording what you do to get a better idea of how you spend time is great.

[Hawk]

Very interesting. I feel the same way. I'm always planning and forgetting about the present...thanks for the info.