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I don't see how I can be free now. As it happens, I am
extremelyunhappywithmylifeatthemoment.Thisisafact,
andI wouldbe deludingmyselfif Itriedto convincemyself
that all is well when it definitely isn't. To me, the present
moment is very unhappy; it is not liberating at all. What
keeps me going is the hope or possibility of some
improvementinthefuture.
Youthinkthatyourattentionisinthepresentmomentwhen
it'sactuallytakenupcompletelybytime.Youcannotbeboth
unhappyandfullypresentintheNow.
Whatyourefertoasyour"life"shouldmoreaccurately
be calledyour "lifesituation."It is psychologicaltime: past
and future. Certainthings inthe past didn't gothe way you
wantedthem to go.You are still resistingwhat happenedin
the past, and now you are resisting what is. Hope is what
keeps yougoing,but hopekeeps youfocusedon the future,
andthiscontinuedfocusperpetuates your denialoftheNow
andthereforeyourunhappiness.
It is truethat my present life situationis the resultof things
that happenedinthepast,butit isstillmypresentsituation,
andbeingstuckinitiswhatmakesmeunhappy.
Forgetaboutyourlifesituationforawhileandpayattention
toyourlife.
Whatisthedifference?
Yourlifesituationexistsintime.
Yourlifeisnow.
Yourlifesituationismind-stuff.
Yourlifeisreal.