A famous Harvard study back in 2010 found that in fact around 47% of our waking hours are spent in the non-present.
It is as if we time travel in our minds, meaning our experience of time isn’t always as linear as we imagine.
In fact, we can be caught up as much or more by unlived memories from the future as by lived memories from the past.
And yet, the only place we ever actually live, the only place we ever actually accomplish anything is in the present? So, why not spend more time there?
If you want to explore this in more depth, listen to Episode 10 of my Time Academy Podcast.
Questions in the Image:
- How do I balance the past, present and future?
- In fact, what hold does the future have over me?
- What hold does the past have over me?
- Does one of the three tenses have more sway?
Want to Read More Around This Topic?
The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle (link to Amazon.co.uk). The book offers insights and practices for living in the present moment and breaking free from the grip of the past and future. It emphasizes the importance of being fully present in order to experience true joy and fulfilment.
Nurturing Curiosity – Daily Practice: This is part of the Nurturing Curiosity series of tools, insights and questions designed to help nurture curiosity as part of our daily practice. In point of fact, every interaction we have is an opportunity to question what we are observing and how we and others are seeing the world. Also remember that questions come in many forms throughout our day – even thoughts can trigger questions. Thinking of the Harvard Study and that amazing finding that around half of our waking time is spent in the non-present brought this question to the fore – how might I treat life as a meditation so that I am more often in the present? What might my meditation bells be?
About Tom O’Leary
Tom guides bold pioneers through inner transitions towards regenerative futures.
His primary offering – through a process he calls Ecological Coaching – is about working with leaders on the mindset, skillset and structural shifts that will power their organisation’s outer transition.
This means helping leaders thrive while creating ripples of positive change within their organisation and most importantly for the communities they serve and ultimately life on this planet.
It is thus not just about the leader as an “individual” but rather as part of an ecology of relationships. Within this ecology, he helps the leader feel heard, gain clarity, take action, build confidence and thrive all in service of something bigger.
How Might Tom Help?
My first invitation is to take maximum advantage of the free content on this site.
- As you are reading this, you are clearly on a fascinating journey. If you feel you would benefit from us doing some work together on some aspect of your journey, please explore this page: How Can I Serve?
- I also endeavour to answer every email so if you have any queries do reach out.
