Live in the Present

Live in the present, live in the moment, an age old adage , spouted by the wise and the intelligent. A matter of opinion that, for is it really possible Not to live in the present. The past we no longer can reverse, the future an illusion at best, so here we stand only to experience the present .

But is not the present a consequence of the past and the future fashioned from our present actions? A strange condition this, I must say. The story of the pregnant deer, a much circulated, narrative adopted by most counsellors, to illustrate the importance of staying focused on the present.

A poor pregnant deer out in the open, hemmed in by danger from all directions. A hunter in front with an arrow drawn,a big cat from behind, ready to strike, a forest fire on the right and a rushing river on the left . With no escape route and in severe pain,she is forced to stop ,to give birth to her little one. The turn of events that followed, quickly removed all the challenges .

A loud thunder, like the proverbial bell, saved the little dear from imminent danger . The sound distracted the hunter, who lost his aim and shot the tiger. The furious cat changed direction and chased the hunter away. The heavy downpour that came after the thunder, soon quenched the flames of the forest, leaving the deer in peace as her baby is born. A happy ending, all in all .

So then, what is the moral of the story? When troubles besiege us from every side, leaving us with no avenue of escape, we are forced to focus on the task at hand . If providence chooses to smile, we will be saved, released from the grip of terror, but what if not ? When backed into a corner, surrounded by danger, is the choice still ours to make, are we still the authors of our story ?

What of the other times, when the choice is ours to make, do we ignore the past, plan not for the future and live only one moment to the next ?