Lost in thought

Don’t you think this is one of the hardest things to do? To forget the “blunders and absurdities” of the day, put them behind you, and move forward.

Perhaps you’ve had words with someone and are replaying the conversation in your head. Thinking about what you could have said and regretting what came out of your mouth.

Or maybe you made a mistake at work or school and are struggling to get it out of your mind. Revisiting it over and over again. Perhaps part of us believes that thinking about it will make it better. But does it?

We spend most of our lives living in the past or thinking about the future. How many of us can really say we are focused on the present?

Sitting here now, my thoughts drift into planning for tomorrow. Contemplating the day ahead, what I need to do, and who I need to see. Earlier on when I woke up, I sat in bed with a cup of tea musing on the day before. Ruminating on past conversations and playing out scenes of what happened in my head.

“The past is already gone, the future is not yet here. There’s only one moment for you to live, and that is the present moment”

Buddha

Yes, some of that planning for tomorrow was useful and set me up for the day. But a lot of it (particularly thinking about yesterday) was a huge waste of time.

No one can retrieve the past to change it, and equally no one can predict the future. You can ponder on how something may play out, but how often does it transpire the way you imagined?

Being mindful of the present moment isn’t easy. It sounds it! But it isn’t. That little voice inside likes to wander off on its own path of thought. I sometimes think its like a dog escaping it’s lead. It’s free to roam this way and that way. It goes where it pleases.

We have to stop it in its tracks, catch it and bring it back to the now. Simply being aware of it happening and pulling ourselves back to the present moment.

Ekhart Tolle described the human condition as “lost in thought” and I think that sums up me very well. Do you relate to that too? Perhaps its time to get out of our heads and start living!