THE FUTURE IS NOW

Dear Bernard,

There’s a restlessness in you, isn’t there? A constant, nagging thought that lingers in your mind, questioning, second-guessing, and stirring up emotions you can neither define nor silence. You’ve become a wanderer within your own life, drifting between the past and the future, losing sight of the only thing that truly matters: the now. How strange it is, this human tendency to fixate on a time that no longer exists, or one that hasn’t even arrived, while allowing the present moment to slip through our fingers like sand. And yet, here you are, standing at the intersection of memories and dreams, haunted by what was and fearful of what might be. You blame the past, don’t you? Those "unfortunate but rich events" you experienced as a child still echo in your heart. They’ve become the convenient scapegoat for everything that didn’t happen as planned. You carry them like heavy stones in your pockets, weighing you down, making each step forward harder than it needs to be. But have you ever stopped to ask yourself: when did the past become a crutch, an excuse for your inability to embrace the present fully? When did it gain so much power over your narrative?

The past is seductive because it’s fixed; it cannot be altered. We turn to it like a broken record, repeating the same stories over and over again. The mind loves to revisit familiar suffering. We find comfort in its certainty. But the past is also deceptive. It’s no longer real. It is nothing more than a collection of fragmented memories, coloured by time, distorted by emotions, and, more often than not, incomplete. You allow these fragments to define you, to shape your perception of yourself. You believe that because certain things happened to you, you are destined to be a certain way. But isn’t that absurd? Isn’t it the height of irony to think that something as fleeting as a memory could hold dominion over the present moment?

And the future, that elusive horizon you can never quite reach, you give it far too much power as well. You build castles in the air, grand visions of what your life could be, but they are always just out of reach, aren't they? You convince yourself that happiness lies somewhere in that distant tomorrow, in some idealised version of yourself that you’ve yet to become. But what if the future is just as illusory as the past? What if the act of constantly projecting yourself into the future is nothing more than a clever distraction from the discomfort of living in the now? Ah, the "now." What has become of your philosophy of the present moment? It seems you have forgotten that the present is not merely a bridge between the past and the future; it is the only reality that truly exists. It is the ground beneath your feet, the breath in your lungs, the beating of your heart. It is the space in which your life unfolds. And yet, you allow your mind to wander, to drift into spaces that do not exist, while the present slips away unnoticed, unappreciated. You live like a ghost, disconnected from the moment that holds the key to your freedom.

The irony is that both the past and the future, as vital as they are, only matter because of the present. The past informs you, yes. It teaches you, shapes you, and leaves its mark on you. The future inspires you, drives you, and gives you hope. But neither can exist without the now. It is the present that gives meaning to both. And yet, you neglect it as if it were some trivial thing, some temporary inconvenience you must endure while waiting for the future to arrive. But the future never comes, Bernard. It’s always just beyond your grasp. You ask why you cannot concentrate on the now and why your mind is so easily pulled in other directions. Perhaps it’s because the present moment demands something of you that you’re not ready to give: acceptance. To truly live in the now requires you to accept reality as it is, without judgment, without resistance. It requires you to let go of your attachment to the past and your expectations for the future. And that, my friend, is terrifying. Because to live in the present is to confront the truth of your existence, to face yourself without the comforting illusions of what was or what could be. It is to stand naked before the universe, vulnerable and exposed, with nothing to shield you from the rawness of life. But here’s the thing: the present is not your enemy. It is not some harsh, unforgiving taskmaster. It is, in fact, your greatest ally. It is the only place where real change can happen, where real growth can occur. In the present moment, you create yourself moment by moment, breath by breath. It is the forge in which your future is shaped, not by grandiose plans or far-off dreams, but by the simple, humble act of being here, now.

Think about it: every outstanding achievement, every monumental decision, every profound moment of insight has occurred in the present. It is in the now that you discover your strength, your purpose, your truth. The future may hold promise, but the actions you take in the present will define it. And yet, you resist. You resist the now because it is uncomfortable. It is uncertain. It is messy. But it is also real. And it is the only place where you can indeed be alive. So, Bernard, stop wandering. Stop allowing your mind to drift aimlessly between what was and what might be. Anchor yourself in the present, not because the past and future don’t matter, but because they only matter as they are connected to the now. The present is the thread that ties them together, the glue that holds the fragments of your life in place.

And what of your soul, this soul that you say is wandering all over? Perhaps it is not the soul that is lost, but the mind. The soul knows where it belongs; it knows its home is in the present moment. It is your mind that resists, that clings to the safety of the past or the hope of the future. But the soul is wiser. It understands that the present is not something to be feared but embraced. It knows that true peace and fulfilment can only be found here, now, in this very breath and heartbeat. So, my dear Bernard, return to yourself. Return to the now. Let go of the stories you tell yourself about the past. Release the fears you hold about the future. Neither of them can hurt you unless you allow them to. Focus instead on the present moment, for it is here that your life is happening. It is here that your soul will find rest. Here, you will discover the true essence of who you are.

The present is not some fleeting thing to be endured; it is a gift. And it is only when you learn to embrace it fully that you will finally understand the profound wisdom of the now.

With all my heart, 

Yourself, the Present