"The present moment is the only time that exists. The past is gone, the future is not yet here, and if we do not go back to ourselves in the present moment, we cannot be in touch with life.” —Eckhart Tolle
With so much to do, what’s the point of sitting still and doing nothing? The point of sitting still and doing nothing is because there’s so much to do.
Let's take a step back and objectively examine our collective lives. Our frantic activity is directed towards a future state that promises happiness and fulfillment but doesn’t always deliver. We spend our lives pursuing the carrot at the end of the stick, which is always just out of reach. This phenomenon is called the Hedonic Treadmill.
It’s much easier to see this clearly and be critical of it when you’re my age. In the first half of my life, I was mainly concerned with the quantity of my life. Now, in the second half of my life, I’m more concerned with the quality of my life. I’m discovering that I can improve the quality of my life by doing something that was unthinkable in the first half of my life: sitting still and doing nothing but breathing and listening to what my thoughts and the universe is telling me.
According to Eckhart Tolle, life exists in the present moment. However, the present can be elusive and somewhat fickle, as it is always at odds with the powerful forces of the past and the future. While it is true that we cannot remain in the present moment all the time, as we must anticipate the future and learn from the past, it is important to recognize the value of being present in the moment whenever possible.
We’ve all experienced the present moment - those times when we were in “flow.” Time seemed to stand still, and we were so engrossed in what we were doing or seeing that we lost all sense of time. Maybe it was watching puffy clouds from an airplane window, standing at the edge of the Grand Canyon, or listening to a beautiful piece of music. It’s not an overstatement to say that during those times, we were alive.
The good news is that we can call up those moments on demand. They are as close as our breath. We take about 20,000 breaths a day, and we’re not aware of most of them. Each breath happens in the present moment. All we have to do is pay attention to each breath for 1-2 minutes. Experience the miracle as each breath gives you life. Honor each breath.
Most of our problems and worries aren’t happening in the moment. They’re happening in the past or being made up while anticipating the future.
When the stress is building up and the Hedonic Treadmill seems to running faster every day, take a few minutes to do nothing. Just breathe . . . and listen.
My favorite poem! :)
Thanks for seeing the beauty of Frost’s words, Pat, and adding a wonderful theory on where else we can go from here!
I’m all for The Road Less Traveled and New Beginnings!