Living in the Present - a misundertood message! - Part 2

 

 

"But isn't living in the present about living the moment, not thinking about the past and not basing the future outcomes based on the past results or then present?"
I had this asked, and I realised I had not mentioned the past...

So here goes my view: Yes indeed being in the present is about the present moment, here and now. But can't be at the cost of ignoring either the past or the consequence of our present choices and actions.
Having the common approach (especially from men): that it is done; I know what happen so what?; What's the point in talking about it and revisiting it? I want to forget it, get in the box, buried it away. It is not the answer and not a healthy approach in the long term.

We need to understand and digest our past! We need to look at it with honesty and ask what it wants to show us. What is there for you to learn, improve or change? Know yourself, know the world!

Look at climate change, for example. Did you realise that the Maya and the Mexica (Aztec) civilisation decline partly because of it?
Yes! We talk of them as civilizations living in harmony with nature, but as much as they did so, they also got carried away in their beliefs and ways that ended up being self-destructive.

They had grown in number a lot, so they were having to exploit the land for food. Then they also over-cut the trees in the forest as they become addicted to painting everything in Lime (which requires many hours of cooking that needs wood!), so they started having longer dry seasons and a lack of food. Here they started panicking and offering more people to the gods as sacrifices.
Also, an interesting fact that we also have not learned from: The Spanish won the battle with the Mexica not because of their wonderful skills but because they carried a virus that killed millions of people! We ignore that we will have more of this as the ice is melting and revealing ancient bugs we have never been in touch with.

So here is the message for today: yes let's not be in the past, let's not go over and over it as victims but let's learn from it. Take responsibility, live a better present fully aware so we create a better future!