Now. Now is precariously balanced between the impermeable weight of the past and the incalculable potential of the future. Looking to surf that sweet spot between reminiscing and learning from the past, planning and growing into the future, while embracing, enjoying and deliberating in the present.

‘Now’ is both immeasurably small, and utterly all there is.

“Oh the places you’ll go” by Dr. Seuss probably makes itself into my top 5 books. If you haven’t read it, it’s probably worth stopping reading here, and going and ordering a copy. One section describes “The Waiting Place”

Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or No or waiting for their hair to grow.

Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite or waiting around for Friday night

or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil, or a Better Break or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.

Everyone is just waiting.

If now is all you have, then just waiting for this time to expire, is perhaps not the best use for it.

Not for the first time, I’ll share Alan Watts succinct thoughts on the subject:

“This is the real secret of life - to be completely engaged with what you are doing in the here and now. And instead of calling it work, realize it is play”#

Be guarded against living for somewhere you aren’t. While it is tremendously useful to look ahead and plan, there is no use planning for the future, if when it arrives, you aren’t there to live it, because you are once again looking forward to another new future.

You can’t live at all, unless you can live fully now.