Limit Yourself to the Present

Limit yourself to the present. – Marcus Aurelius

Do not think about that which is not yet, or no longer. In this way, you will be able to live a life free of unnecessary suffering.

It is the future that troubles us. We fear it, and in fearing it we suffer now, in advance. And if bad things happen, it makes us suffer even more.

And if good things happen, we worry that they may end up being bad or not as good as we first thought. We do not allow ourselves to enjoy the moment, because our fear tells us that everything is temporary and things can change for the worse just like that.

When making plans, we worry even more. We do not feel at peace with the world and how it exists. But that’s because we are always judging things in a negative way, without accepting them as they are.

We need to learn how to live in the present moment and appreciate what there is now – instead of thinking about what could be better or what we are missing.

It’s only when we live in the present that we can truly find peace. Take a few minutes every day to empty your mind, and meditate. Focus on your breathing and just try without expecting anything from yourself. At the start, it will be difficult, but you’ll slowly get there with practice. After having gone through this process every day for a while, you will start to feel more at peace with yourself and the world in general.

Don’t let an event that does not affect you have the power to change your attitude towards yourself and the world around you for the worse.

Thoughts only exist in our minds; they are illusions that we make real through fear, judgment, and desire. People may let you down, and friends will betray you or die. That is how things are. It is not bad in itself, it only makes you unhappy if you don’t accept these facts as they are – without fearing the future or thinking that people shouldn’t behave in such a way when they do. But as long as they do, there is nothing you can do about it other than educating people and trying to persuade them so they won’t repeat the same mistakes.

That’s why I think that Stoicism is a good philosophy for anyone. It helps us to overcome our fears and live in peace with the world around us because we finally feel at home with reality. And it brings us that one step closer to conquering our most difficult fears since we no longer fear bad things happening; instead of fearing for the worst possible scenario to come true, we are only sad when it does.

Focusing on what is useful and worth having will help you take action and get the things you desire and need for living a fulfilling life.

Do not worry so much about the future because it only exists in your mind. Instead, focus on what you have right now – no matter how small or insignificant it might seem to you. This is your life, so live it without being afraid of losing anything that makes you happy, and instead embrace every moment with tranquility and mindfulness, in order to truly appreciate all there is around you.