Preoccupational Hazard

"When I am anxious, it is because I am living in the future. When I am depressed, it is because I am living in the past." -Jimmy R

I saw this quote about a week ago and was immediately struck by its truth. A similar verse, which I had read in my devotional not too long before, exists in the Bible from Matthew 6:34, "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

The idea to be taken from both of these statements is that we need to live in the present, but often our human tendency is to dwell on things of the past or constantly worry about things of the future. When we do this, it is impossible to be truly happy. For one thing, the past is behind us, and we should leave it there. There is no such thing as a time machine that would allow us to go back and correct our mistakes or take back the things we said and wish we didn't. When we ruminate on all the what-ifs, we are setting ourselves up for failure, because we are dreaming of fixing situations that are impossible to fix since they exist in an unchangeable time. And when we know failure is inevitable, we become hopeless and depressed. As for the future, if we spend all our time imagining the outcomes of situations or avoiding the thought of them altogether, our present bodies will draw nearer to the future without utilizing the present to prepare ourselves. At some point we'll realize that the future we fear or anticipate is closer, and a sense of panic will arise within us. We will become anxious, because we're not using our time wisely and instead are feeling more and more unprepared as we're forced closer to having to deal with our situation.

This past/future dilemma becomes even more complex when you consider that one can live in a limbo between the two without ever living in the present. Just because someone spends equally as much time thinking about the past as he/she does on the future doesn't mean past and future average out and the person ends up living in the present. The math here is simply addition, and when you add depression (from the past) to anxiety (from the future) you get a depressed and anxious person. Not an ideal combination, nor is living in the present whilst living in either the past or future also. We are meant to live in the present alone. That is not to say that we shouldn't reflect on fond memories or learn from past mistakes, or that we shouldn't take steps to prepare for our future, but rather that we shouldn't let ourselves be consumed with destructive thoughts of the past and future, thoughts that bring us down or distract us from using the time we have to progress.

Living in the present is challenging, and it requires a conscious effort. Our minds will always be drifting to different time periods; we just have to stop ourselves, shake the thought, and focus on our current tasks. It's much easier said than done, of course, but if you have willpower, you can manage it. Whenever my mind drifts and I catch myself, I make myself talk to God instead. I tell Him, "Look, this is what's bothering me," and after I pour my heart out to Him, I actively search for blessings He has placed in my life and thank Him for those. The idea is to change my focus to something positive so that I can calm myself down and cheer myself up. That's just one way of living in the present. Other ways to do that are just to enjoy times that you're out with your friends or doing something you love...or studying ahead of time to prepare yourself for that test coming up. Use the present, and don't waste it. Life is a gift from God, but it is also a series of tests. We have to learn to appreciate our blessings during our trials and to live where God is with us, in the present. After all, life is indefinite, and we cannot boast of tomorrow. So why live where we can't fix things or where we can't guarantee what the next day brings us?

So the next time you find yourself preoccupied with the time periods that only God has the power to work on or change, either count your blessings or get back to work.