Always Here, Rarely There

“The chief cause of failure and unhappiness is trading what you want most for what you want now.” — Zig Ziglar

We say we don’t know what it’s like to be present
but we’re actually more present than ever.
In fact, we’re drowning in it.

1. “How to be more present and in the NOW”
2. “10 tips to be more present in your life”
3. “The importance of staying present”
   All sound familiar?

But if we’re not present, how are we always making choices for right now ?

A box of cookies sound great right now , even if we regret it later. "I’ll just take 5 minutes from now. I’ll study later, but this video is premiering right now

We’re not struggling to live in the now. We’re prisoners of it.
No wonder 90% of our choices are in the interest of the short-term.

We’re like kids in a candy store, grabbing at every shiny moment without considering tomorrow’s toothache.

We’re so anchored in the immediate that tomorrow becomes invisible.

Raising your volume right now could silence them, but it comes at the cost of a lifetime of uncomfortable silences.
Telling a little lie right now avoids a tough conversation, but it makes every future conversation harder.
Saying “yes” right now avoids conflict, but it’s why your calendar is filled with things you don’t want to spend your time doing.

In each case, we are completely present, just with the wrong thing.

The irony? By being slightly less “present,” we might finally build the future we’ve been too present to create.