Marcus Aurelius (121-180 AD) believed happiness was to be achieved by living “according to nature” in harmony with the principle which orders the universe. A Roman emperor and philosopher who composed bits of wisdom in a work called Meditations, he believed that the serenity of someone who lived in the present moment could not be affected by misfortunes of the past or the fear of the future. He advised, “Confine yourself to the present.”
Have you considered this bit of advice? When you’re thinking about the past, you’re thinking about it now. When you’re thinking about the future, you’re thinking about it now. There is only the now moment. Thinking about the past may cause you to feel regret or depression. Thinking about the future may create anxiety or fear. When you stay in the moment, you have more creative control. You can not change the past and the future does not exist.
Your thoughts are a constant stream of consciousness. They exist in the moment. And you are in control of your thoughts…in the moment. You decide what to focus upon. You decide what feelings you want to evoke. When you think about things in the past that disturb you, you create the same vibrational energy that you felt during that time in the past when you had the experience. The principle which orders the universe responds to your vibrational thought energy right now. It responds to your focus and how you are feeling about it. Be aware that you could be re-creating past problems or similar situations. Do you want that? When you let go of the past that disturbs you, you are able to create new experiences. You grow. You become better. Wiser.
You get what you’re thinking about. You can spend your thought energy however you want. I would hope that you would want to invest in your own happiness. When you think about things in the past that make you happy, you get the benefit of re-creating that vibrational energy now. Your body responds well to happy, positive thoughts. It actually functions better in a tension free environment. Gina Bellin says, “The only way to deal with the future is to function efficiently in the now.” When you’re thinking the happy thoughts in the present, you are depositing into a future where you will receive more.
When you “confine” yourself, you set boundaries, limits and restrictions. When you “confine yourself to the present”, you decide what your priority is in the moment. When limiting your actions to insure your priority is accomplished, you are more efficient and effective. When you restrict your thoughts to what you want, you are able to create a sense of peace and serenity. And you can do that right now.
Your future self will benefit from what you do right now. Take the advice of a wise man from the past.