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March 15th

THE PRESENT IS ALL WE POSSESS

“Were you to live three thousand years, or even a countless multiple

of that, keep in mind that no one ever loses a life other than the

one they are living, and no one ever lives a life other than the one

they are losing. The longest and the shortest life, then, amount to

the same, for the present moment lasts the same for all and is all

anyone possesses. No one can lose either the past or the future, for

how can someone be deprived of what’s not theirs?”

—MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 2.14

oday, notice how often you look for more. That is, wanting the past to
be more than what it was (different, better, still here, etc.) or wanting
the future to unfold exactly as you expect (with hardly a thought as to how
that might affect other people).
When you do this, you’re neglecting the present moment. Talk about
ungrateful! There’s a saying—attributed to Bil Keane, the cartoonist—
worth remembering: “Yesterday’s the past, tomorrow’s the future, but today
is a gift. That’s why it’s called the present.” This present is in our
possession—but it has an expiration date, a quickly approaching one. If you
enjoy all of it, it will be enough. It can last a whole lifetime.