Living in the NOW

[Listengold]

Speaking to a long time friend a few weeks ago he is now late 60's.
In the past few years he's had lots of mental health illnesses.
He was telling me that he has been having a lot of counselling and
one of the points he has come away with is to 'live in the now'
As he said the past has gone and cannot be changed.
The future is not guaranteed.
Listening to him it's right.
His attitude was so positive and I have tried to adopt that mind set.
Do you think that's a good idea.

I think not ruminating or worrying is a good philosophy, extending that to not planning for your future and being reckless with your money/job/friendships isn't.

Absolutely! The now is the only thing we have.

I like to live in the now because I don’t like to plan ahead to avoid disappointment incase it doesn’t go ahead… I feel like I’m tempting fate if say I book a holiday a year in advance.

When you get to your late sixties you find you are attending a heck of a lot more funerals. Definitely makes you live in the now, next year isn't guaranteed.

He's right. Living in the past can cause depression and living in the future can cause anxiety. The only time we have is now. Try to enjoy every moment in the present rather than waste it ruminating over the past which cannot be recovered or worrying about the future which hasn't even happened yet.

This is the concept of mindfulness

I think it's a mentally healthy way to live. Mindfulness is another word for this, to focus on the present moment. The present moment is usually fine. So much of my anxiety is about what might happen in the future. I don't tend to worry about the past. I do think a lot about the past but more in a nostalgic, sentimental way, remembering people and places that meant a lot to me. That's OK, that's just me.
But yes, if I'm feeling particularly overwhelmed with worry I just focus on the now. I did this a lot after my cancer diagnosis. I was completely obsessed with what would happen in the future so I kept bringing my mind back to NOW.

I think it’s an excellent idea if you’re grabbing each moment, taking the lessons you’ve learned in life with you and you’re responding to things so they don’t come back and bite you in the bum later. Enjoy your friendships and your family while you still have them. Do those things you’ve always wanted to do. Enjoy your life for what it is, not what you wish it could be.

I don’t think he means not to plan anything for the future or not consider the consequences of anything.

Well yea isn't that what 'mindfulness' is all about? And as the late great Mr Lennon said 'life is what happens when you are busy making other plans'.
But as most people's motivation is some future goal, one has to look to the future to some extent.