Opposite directions, synchronized feet
I recently watched a TedTalk about the dangers of a wandering mind; how a mind that strays from the present tends to lead to unhappiness. The romantic idea of the daydreamer; well, they’re overrated. A daydreamer that manages to stay content and on two solid feet is a rarity.
It took me a while to grasp this idea, to fully understand what was being said. However, after recently having a few days alone with only my thoughts to keep me company, I realized that my mind did wander to possibilities that my life may hold, future and past. And more often than not, these thoughts led me to situations that I wished I had handled differently, or things or people or opportunities that were lost that I wanted back, or dreams that I want to pursue but cannot at the moment embark toward them. Not that I was actively longing for them, but my wandering mind brought back those feelings, and it took active thinking and self-reassurance that my current state is an equally rewarding one.
I suppose this has led me to an even firmer appreciation to living utterly in the present. Focus on what is happening right in this moment; on things that are within arms reach. Everything else can wait until I get a little closer, close enough to determine whether it is a permanent feature or not. Once I am able to make out the distinct features, then and only then is it perhaps time to focus attention on it. I have exhaled too many heavy sighs on hopes that I have wanted to reach and have simply not been able to attain them due to not spending enough time examining - and perhaps appreciating - the size and shape of my current life.
