Living in the Moment

You could say there are two doors in life: one with ‘past’ painted on it in bold letters, the other with ‘future’. One we know; the other is uncertain. But we also have something else: the key to both of these doors, labeled ‘present’. After all, it’s in the present moment, the ‘here and now’, that we decide how we will deal with past issues and what direction we would like to take in the future. Living in the moment is the key to a fulfilling life, according to Dr Fuschia Sirois, who is reader in health psychology at the University of Sheffield, UK. “It’s of paramount importance to have a balanced perspective of time and to involve the past, present and future in our lives equally,” she explains. “For instance, many people think about the future, but they don’t see it as part of their own life, or part of who they actually are. We have to unite with our future self and bring it into our lives.” For instance, we can decide how our future can and should look – and what things would make us feel fulfilled, happy and full of joy. We also need to know what to leave firmly in the past. For example, we’re constantly deciding whether or not to bring old injuries back into our lives or whether to distance ourselves from them and continue to live towards our ideals. This sort of decision-making can be seen when we decide to stay in the same job and continue being angry with our boss – or to look for a new position, where our abilities are more appreciated.