There is so much talk about the power of being present. We are constantly told to keep our attention on now, and not let it wander into the future or latch on to the past.

But are there times to look into the future or remember the past? Is it always best to focus on the powerful now?

We are writing a three-part series on different ways to look at it.

The first two posts talked about looking forward and looking backward. This week we look at how to look at now.

Check it out.

Now is all there ever is.

Beth and I have heard and said this statement to ourselves many times. It’s easy to dismiss.

Sure, there is now, but there is also yesterday (I was there), and there will be a tomorrow (I’m pretty sure I’ll be there too).

Why is now so special? In other words, what’s in it for me?

There is A LOT in it for you.

Knowing that now is what counts helps you focus.

As engaged, active people, many things are competing for your time and energy. Paying more attention to now is incredibly helpful.

It takes the pressure off you so you don’t have to figure everything out. You can let the future unfold in front of you, and you can let go of the past and take from it the lessons you’ve learned.

When you are more aware of what is going on now, you can do a much better job of planning by focusing only on the future you can impact now.

You don’t have to get carried away by the various scenarios you manufacture in your thoughts. Instead, you are better able to deal with what is going on in the moment and choose how you want to react. It also sets you up to allow for the next step to happen, so you don’t need to plan in the traditional way. 

The same thing with looking backward. From your present perspective, you can more clearly see the past. You can take a different perspective because you’ve come through the past into the present. Then, from the present, determine what to do next.

We started this 3-week series because Beth and I find ourselves looking at the world much differently than we did even a few months ago. We’ve recognized the power of remembering we are only here in the moment.

Realizing this empowers us to make decisions and take actions and trust ourselves more. Every moment we experience is one we’ve created based on all the now’s we’ve lived. By being more attuned to now, the experiences we create are much more intentional.

Please share your thoughts in the comments below about the past, present, and future.