Well, here we go with the first weeks challenge
Now is now the past - confused?
For me that means that the present is the most important time as it slips by so quickly. If we are always looking towards the future we miss out so much on the things that are happening now (which is now then
)
Having plans, having things to look forward to, can help us cope when things are difficult but to depend on the future to make life bearable now can mean we miss so many opportunities to experience life, to become aware of the small pleasures we can take by noticing and being present in the things are doing, seeing, hearing, smelling or tasting.
But I know how difficult this can be - when I was first diagnosed the last thing I wanted was to look into the future. I remember going to an MS society meeting and thinking 'Oh my god, is this what I've got to look forward to?' when looking around at the people in wheelchairs, because my initial assumption was that was my future and it was only a matter of when. I became extremely depressed as I thought my life was over (even though I was still physically capable at that time) and it took a long time to regain my focus on the present.
I fantasised (as many have and do) that winning the Lottery would be the answer to such a dismal future and, in hindsight, wasted many years looking forwards (but not looking foward) to the future.
Well, 20 years on some of it has happened. But you know what - I don't care. And no, I didn't win the Lottery
I just gradually began to concentrate on what I can do and not on what I might not be able to do next week, next month, next year.
Now when I think about the future I think about the things that are 'the icing on the cake' - a trip to Barcelona, the TP convention, next week's theme on here, Holby City on the tv, and the occasional
JD and coke. I've stopped worrying about how things might turn out because I end up missing out on the present, and I'm still here.
When you look into the future what do
YOU see?
THE FUTURE
I was going to call this Gypsy Rose Lee, then I googled it and turns out she was a stripper
What would I do differently?
Not use waterproof eyeliner on my brows and eyelids - it's a bugger to get off