The Universe is Our Poetry

Be fully present in living the present moment.

You know how we take things for granted just because we have it at the present moment? By present moment, I mean, the everyday happens in a fashion that it became familiar to us. Hence, there's an underlying notion that we can have the exact same thing or see the exact same people-be in a predictable environment-tomorrow.

We are so sure of tomorrow.

Where did we get that confidence? When did we start mapping out the possibility that we can or we will be part of the future? We craft goals, we make plans, we dream big dreams all in the hopes of one day achieving them, or at least, getting closer to a life that we wanted. In so doing, do we ever get to live the present moment with the vigor that we bank on the future?

It's so easy to waste a day. I am one of those people who most of the time take no guilt in just letting the day slip away because I tell myself, "Oh, I'll just do it tomorrow." And when tomorrow comes, guess what? I would say that line again being so sure I have the next day to accomplish what I needed to accomplish. I have a next time to start fixing my life. But we don't have control on the length of our lives, do we? We can be here now and maybe we can be gone by tomorrow. Or later. Who knows?

We all are aware of the line: live your day as if it were your last. We have heard it said so many times in different versions, we have read it everywhere, we have sang the song Live Like We're Dying by Kris Allen-and yet, it doesn't stick. We don't internalize it as much.

Crafting goals, making plans, dreaming big dreams are all good things. Finding our true North and living our purpose is a remarkable feat. Having the future in mind gives us fuel to make better choices in our present. But as we become more aware of our behavior that we wanted to change and as we learn to install new habits to redirect our paths into the kind of quality living we aspire, I hope we likewise get to be fully present in living the present moment. To actually be here. The past is already done, the future is yet to come, the only real thing that is happening is the now.

If today will be the last time we ever get to show up, I hope we become mindful of how we spend every second of it. Cliché, but, did we tell (or show) the people we love that we love them? Did we reach out to that person who randomly crossed our minds? Did we give our excellent effort at work? Did we extend patience to the stranger who cut in our line? Did we extend patience and grace to ourselves? Did we share the love of Christ? Did we pray and thank God for another day? Did we jump and try something that we fear doing? Did we make a conversation without looking on our phone or checking the time? Did we try that TikTok trend for the fun of it? Did we have fun?

We can go on with life assured that tomorrow's gonna come. But if it didn't for us, what are we leaving behind?