“I have realized that the past and future are real illusions, that they exist in the present, which is what there is and all there is.”

– Alan Watts

For the past couple years, I’ve realized that the past and the future are simply perspectives. The past is as real as the people who agree with the events that happened and the future is as real as the plans people make for it.

Personally, I’ve always had events that caused me to run further from my past and into the future but the truth is that the future is what you make of it. These events were probably self fulfilling prophecies and it wasn’t until later when I learned to manage my emotions that I stopped to look at the present. The present can always be better but rarely do most people make it better and likely because they are too focused on the past or future. The truth is that all we have is now. This realization can be daunting at first but it can also be comforting. To simply know that we live on a rock and that we can make the best of it.

So, how exactly do we make the best of it on this floating rock in space? I’ve learned that honesty is key in reality building because I’m not always right and there is more than one way to do things. I speak my mind about the problems that I see and if I can resolve it than I will also speak of the solution. I wouldn’t say it in a way like I am complaining about it but I would point it out blatantly about what the problem is.

Generally, a lot of the problems that I see is the problem of lack or excess. Sometimes, I see issues with how things are handled between people. In my opinion, most of the problems can be solved through simple communication but a lot of the times, this can be hard for people. Some people are able to maintain and continually communicate their needs while others no longer have the ability to do so. You don’t want to be one of these people. You want to have the ability to communicate effectively, what you want and what your needs are to live a prosperous life on this planet.

One benefit understanding that time is not real and that only the present exists is that it takes a lot of weight off becoming someone. I used to have this image in my head that I could become better and do better than everyone else. It wasn’t the best mindset because it would cause friction in my relationship and also create internal conflict within myself. There isn’t a need to become someone else if you are happy with who you are and it’s very rare that you are able to become anyone else because every individual is already unique. If you don’t need to become someone else or better than the goal is to discover within yourself, your own enjoyment, talents and abilities to share with the world. Isn’t that beautiful? Everyone has their own natural gifts and abilities that they contribute to the world in making it a better place. The more that people realize this, the better their world and the rest of the world can be.

One of the problems that I faced before shifting my perspective was that I was overly competitive and my ego was insatiable. I always had a need to be better. I was hyper competitive and while it drove me to do some great things in my life, it also drove me to do some awful things. Once I realized that we only have only have the now is when I realized that I needed to learn to work and collaborate with others. There wasn’t a need for competition on a daily basis. I wasn’t better than the person beside me because we are all on this planet together.

Of course, not everyone shares this perspective so be safe and careful when it comes to people. I’ve learned to be kind to people but there are people who have yet to be healed or aren’t able to think better. Keep your distance from these individuals if necessary. Otherwise, if you’re able to help them than do so because at times, a little kindness can go a long way.

Until the next post, thanks for reading!