Being Prisoners Of The Present

Many a tale has been told of time – mainly about what happens to humans when the past is tampered with, or when time is wasted.

Our pasts are sure to be filled with many “what if” moments – moments filled with wrongs we wish we could make right, while our futures may be filled with uncertainties.

However, many of us do not realise how much power we have to change the course of our lives by utilising the present.

According to renowned astrophysicist, Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson, he explains that if we were to live in the fourth dimension, we would be able to control our past, present, and future, just as how we can control our three-dimensional world, by being able to physically move around to whichever location we choose.

Since we clearly have a long way to go before our species transcends into the fourth dimension, we are, as Tyson puts it, “prisoners of the present”.

So, we might as well make the best of what we have and focus on what we can do at this very moment to change things. But how does one go about doing this?

1. Take things slow

For starters, we should be more mindful of what we’re doing at this very moment and how it is getting us to where we want to be in the future.

We can accomplish this by taking things a little slower when we are working on something crucial to our development.

By starting ahead of time and doing things slowly, we can be more aware of our mistakes and therefore, have more time to right our wrongs and learn valuable lessons that are sure to benefit us in the future.

2. Give thanks

We seem to forget to show our loved ones how important they are to us. Showing how grateful we are to them strengthens our bond with them and even makes us happier, according to research.

The more we show our appreciation, the more happiness we accumulate over time, therefore making us happier in the future.

3. Let your hair down

We often overlook the importance of fun and taking breaks.

Instead of constantly working, we also need time off, spend that time with important people in our lives, and savour those moments.

Life is nothing without fun, so it is crucial we spend the time we have to balance work and career development with activities that help make life worth living.

We wouldn’t want to look back on our time on this earth and regret that we took everything so seriously.

Concluding thoughts

Every moment that passes idly by will never come back again. So it is important that we take full advantage of the time we currently have.

Let us all get out there and seize the present!

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Published in English daily The Star, Malaysia, 28 March 2015