Thought: ‘Only the present has any reality.’
Addictions UK uses Twitter to share inspirational Thoughts every day. This article is based on one of them. Follow us at @addictionsuk.
It’s surprisingly hard to live in the present. We tend to spend a lot of our time thinking about the past and the future.
We have all made mistakes and it’s too easy to obsess about them. We spend our time wondering what went wrong, what we could have done to avoid the problem, how much better life would have been if we had made different choices.
We can’t stop thinking about the future, either. What will happen? How will I manage? The mortgage, the pension, work, family, how will it all work out?
We are sometimes positive about past and future too. We have happy memories of past success and achievements. Some times were good, some people were great to be with. And we have our hopes and plans, holidays to look forward to, our children starting families, quieter years after retirement with time and security to do what we want.
But, good or bad, it’s all an illusion. Our memories are always distorted, our plans never wholly realistic – how can they be in an ever-changing context?
It’s good to enjoy and learn from the past. It’s necessary to plan for the future. But the only reality is the present. The past can be a distraction, the future an excuse to put things off.
What are the challenges of today? What needs doing right now? Who is nearby at this moment and needs my help and encouragement and support?
Be positive about the past and be hopeful for the future but live in the present.
Please contact us now if you need help with recovery from any addiction and especially if you are seeking home-based treatment.
