That night, I was visiting other blogs reading about how we have no problems right now. This idea perhaps most famously comes from The Power of Now. I have held this belief as my own for some time now; whenever I have a “problem” I take a step back to remind myself that I am dwelling in the past (or future, depending on the situation) and that if I stay in the present moment I really don’t have a problem.

If you are new to this concept, think of it this way: right now, at this very moment, you have zero problems. Maybe your best friend sent you a mean text message, but that happened in the past. Maybe you have bills you have to pay next week, but that’s something in the future, something that doesn’t even exist yet. I have easily accepted this idea, except for the question that has been in the back of my mind, “What if something really is happening right now that is a problem?”

Sorry to be morbid, but what if I have a gun against my head or my family is being threatened physically? This is where the barking dog provides the answer (you thought I forgot about the dog, didn’t you). While I was reading the air conditioning turned off and I discovered that the dog had one impressive set of lungs. She was rather loud and for whatever reason felt the need to bark every 2-3 seconds. I wasn’t particularly annoyed (“The only problems I have are the ones I create,” I told myself), but I realized that the dog was there to help me answer my question.

The first part is a little more “obvious.” When the dog barks, I hear it, and have the option of getting annoyed or forgetting about it. The only way I can get annoyed, though, is by staying in the past, remembering the bark. If I stay in the present, the dog bark has no effect. Ok, but what about the fact that the dog keeps barking? This is the part I considered more of a revelation (for me). Even if the dog is barking right this instant, I should not find it to be irritating. Letting a single dog bark upset me would be a bit over the top, no? The only other way to get annoyed, then, is to anticipate more barking. This requires looking to the future! If I stay truly rooted in the now, each dog bark is simply a part of life to be experienced. And when the dog is in between barks, my only source of irritation would logically have to be from remembering the past and/or projecting it to the future.

So, in all honesty, it’s practically impossible to have a problem. When applied to the case of having a gun against my head, this may seem a bit naive, but I don’t see it that way. When situations arise that aren’t to our liking, it is our own choice whether we see them as a problem. And, if faced with a situation that is life threatening, a person deeply rooted in the now would react calmly and precisely. What happens happens, and what could happen is simply a projection of the mind.

Do you agree? Take some time to practice letting go of the past and avoiding predicting the future. See if this doesn’t eliminate most of your problems. If you start to get upset over something, ask yourself, “Am I staying in the present moment? Am I creating a problem for myself?” Let me know how it goes.

“Who says I can’t be free?
From all of the things I used to be,
Rewrite my history,
Who says I can’t be free?”

- John Mayer, “Who Says”

There’s no need to think we can’t change everything in our lives in a heartbeat. Think back to when you were a kid with grand plans to become a doctor or firefighter or even the president. The possibilities seemed endless and we didn’t spend our time being pragmatic about our dreams. Recapture that innocence. The world is what we make of it, in more ways than most people understand.

All that matters is this moment; just because you have a history of getting angry quickly or gossiping doesn’t mean you always will. Start the positive change now. Take life moment by moment, choose your own actions, and be the person you’ve always wanted to be. Thinking you can’t change who you are means that you are living in the past and allowing it to dictate your future. Since neither past nor future exist, what you are really doing is keeping yourself out of the present moment, which is all there really is. Do what you want to do and be who you want to be. Make today the day you rewrite your history and truly become free.

Guilt, regret, resentment, grievances, sadness, bitterness, and all forms of nonforgiveness are caused by too much past, and not enough presence.

- Eckhart Tolle, The Power of Now

One of the greatest obstacles I have had to overcome on my journey has been my obsession with the past.  I have a decent “library” of memories stored away that I love to visit, but I have come to realize that too much attention on what already did happen keeps me from experiencing what is happening right now.

We gain nothing by focusing on the past and missing the present moment.  We fail to experience what is happening around us when we are immersed in memories of what no longer affects us.  (Let me clarify: Should no longer affect us.)  We can learn from the past, we can laugh about the past, but ultimately, we have to leave the past and return to the present moment.  Life is happening NOW.  Make sure you’re here to experience it.

Think about how much better life would be if you stopped the past from controlling your present.  When you are with your kids, do you actually enjoy the time you have, or are you thinking about the money you just spent on the radiator?  Are you appreciating the beauty of the park you are walking through, or still thinking about the aggravation of dealing with the cable company for hours?

The “solution” I have found works best is to draw a strong dividing line between what is, and what was.  Take a moment, every once in a while, to determine if you are focused on right now, or letting the past affect you.  If you need to, take the time to visualize whatever it is that happened and “place” it on the other side of the dividing line.  Now that it is there, enjoy how relieved you feel because you have restored focus to the present.  Whatever is on the other side of the line (outside the now) doesn’t affect you.  It is in the past, and it has no control over you unless you grant it that power.

Personally, I only cross over that line into the past when I need to (such as for practical matters) and do my best to steer clear otherwise.  I realized that letting a memory or emotion from the past affect the present is nonsensical.  Why should I have a terrible time at the movies with my friends because I am still mad at a driver who cut me off on the way there?  Unfortunately, our minds love to recall anything and everything, so this takes a bit of work, but the reward makes it worth it.  Total presence gives way to spectacular experiences and a general propensity to see the glass as half full.