Past and future, or present?

Navigating the planes of life is not always easy. Our thoughts are at constant war with themselves in our mind and often revolve around thoughts from the past or about the future. How many of us can say we are actively living in the present with our focus and attention being on the now rather than what has been or what is to come? I think we are fighting with the past and future to be able to enjoy living the life we are in right now.

Often our pasts can be filled with hurts, mistakes, failures, difficulties and tragedies. Its often hard to move on from these instances and they tend to stick with us. The thoughts and feelings we have with regard to our past tend to shape and form our current thought patterns and feelings. It’s not always easy to put these thoughts and feelings aside.

Isaiah 43:18-19 – “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing. Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”

While the past often competes for the occupation of our mind so does the future. The future is often filled with uncertainty, apprehension, the unknown and fear. The future often holds tasks we feel we will never achieve or accomplish as we haven’t yet been given the gift of hindsight. The future is often dauting and many of the tasks that lie ahead of us seem insurmountable.

Matthew 6:34, – “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Because of this continual tug of war between our past and future we begin to get stretched and worn out. We are so busy trying to fight against both that we rarely spend time living our lives in the present. We let our past and the thoughts of our future dictate our lives rather than grabbing the reigns and deciding the direction of our own lives.

While I am saying this, I also realise the importance both the past and future do play in our lives. Often the trials, difficulties, challenges, hurts and so on can be used as opportunities to grow ourselves. Our past can teach us to be forgiving to ourselves and others, to learn empathy, and we gain wisdom and make valuable discoveries about ourselves.

“Oh yes, the past can hurt. But from the way I see it, you can either run from it, or learn from it.” – Rafiki (Lion King).

Our future can be filled with endless opportunities, and the gift of tomorrow means that we always have the opportunity to make amends, fix what’s broken and create the lives we want for ourselves. The future offers us the gift of hope.

Jeremiah 29:11 – “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

We need both our past and future to maximise the present, but we need them in the periphery rather than as our main focus. Many of the individuals I work with that have struggles such as anxiety and depression often struggle as a result of the past or future. One of the techniques that I often use, and love, is a grounding technique involving the senses. We so often forget to enjoy the pleasures that our senses afford us. Our senses are what help us ground ourselves in the current moment, helping us learn to be present and to become content in the current page of the book that is the journey and adventure of our own lives. We are writing the script, let us not let other factors write the script for us and predetermine our own lives.

The grounding technique I use involves deep breathing with a reflection on one of the senses at a time between the sets of deep breaths. You can begin with 5 things you see, followed by four things you hear, working your way down the senses. Take some time to stop and focus on your surroundings, your inner voice and begin to shape your own narrative.

“Wherever you are be all there.” – Jim Elliot.

Let’s take time to be present in our current situations, no matter what we are facing. Life is meant to be lived, let us not waste it away getting entangled in the past or paralyzed by the future. One step at a time, one breath at a time.

Psalm 118:24 – “This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”