Why Do The Wise Focus On The Present?

Never feel sorry about what has already happened in the past. Never unnecessarily worry about what will happen in the future. The Wise live life as per the demands of present prevailing conditions.

We can infer many things from this Shloka and implement them in our lives to be wise in our conduct and character.

However, I will point out the most valuable things that help me every day on my journey to excellence. Those three things are:

Never Rue The Past. However, Never Forget The Lessons It Taught.

Many ancient sages advised in the spiritual scriptures about the negative impact of constantly regretting past actions. Doing so is a counter-productive thing. To maximise our use of the limited time that the Almighty has blessed us with, we must avoid regretting the past. It wastes our precious moments.

However, we must never forget the lesson it taught us. We tend to remember negative experiences more than positive ones. It leads us to constantly dwell on past mistakes that make us feel inferior and shameful. Avoid falling into that bottomless pit of constant worrying. Remember only the lessons it taught us so that we can build a better future on them.

We know that worrying or being in a state of negativity would never benefit us. Yet we, creatures of habit, always place ourselves in that rocking chair of negativity.

Never Worry About What The Future Holds, But Plan Properly.

We anticipate the future before even committing to any sort of action to build it better. Our precious moments are either wasted on ruminating on the past or anticipating the future.

Both are counter-productive as they are not going to help us augment our present. We waste our time anticipating what is yet to come.

As Lucius Annaeus Seneca said:

“Nothing is so wretched or foolish as to anticipate misfortunes. What madness is it to be expecting evil before it comes.”

We have all been there. We ruin the present with the thought of the future. The task at hand takes a back seat when we worry more about its outcome than the input that we have to give in for that task. And the most dangerous thing that manifests out of this overthinking is fear.

Fear of failure jolts us and tries to derail our progress. However, we have to let go of that fear and attempt what our thought process has limited to the impossible. Try to avoid the trap of overthinking.

Always Focus On The Present, Cent Percent.

There is nothing more productive than being 100 per cent present in the present moment and working with total focus and dedication. We are prone to focusing more on the present when we stop regretting the past or anticipating the future. By focusing on the present, we can give all that we have to the task at hand.

The present is where we can build our future, and when we waste that present anticipating what the future holds, we are missing a precious chance to build a better future. One must plan and act on that plan without worrying about what cards the future holds.

Sometimes, a simple act can help us overcome the inertia fostered by the fear of failure. The intention or the inspiration to act is enhanced by focusing on the present and avoiding the trap of overthinking inclined toward the past or future.

Focus on the present and act genuinely with the utmost focus to succeed in life.

So, the wise always focus on the present moment to make the most out of it.