More than the present.

In mindfulness, we talk a lot about being in the present moment as a way of freeing ourselves from the energy we devote to ruminating about the past and future. And that is a good thing because it brings more ease into our day and helps us to more fully experience the people we love and the things we love to do.

But sometimes we can get a little neurotic about this—trying to cling to the present moment as a way of escaping from thoughts about the past and future. So it helps to be a little more nuanced, and recognize that what is really happening is that by attending to the present, we are releasing ourselves from unhelpful, repetitive thought loops. Doing that allows us more access to our innate wisdom and creativity, so the present moment becomes a place where we can skillfully learn from the past with an eye towards the future, rather than trying to escape from thinking about the past and future at all.

Photo by Jake Weirick on Unsplash