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A Look at the Here and Now


‘You've got to live in the present.’ Doesn't that phrase just sound a little pretentious or preachy? In fact, sometimes just hearing that phrase would get me downright pissed off. What does that phrase mean, anyway?!?! Of course I am living in the present; in the here now! Where the heck else would I be?

It just so happens that my ‘here & now’ is jam-crammed full of unresolved issues and the responsibilities of determining how my life is going to pay off the future promises that my bigmouth and ambitions committed me to in the past. My reaction when I hear that phrase is to say, “Don't tell me to live in the here and now when you haven't sat in my driver's seat. You haven't peered through my rear-view mirror, seen where I've come from, nor looked toward the long miles of road I have before me. I am absolutely in the here and now - you can't tell me otherwise.”

I now realize that I have stumbled upon my own understanding of the 'here and now.' Being in the driver’s seat of my own life is much like being in the driver seat of my own car. My here and now is the view from this seat. It is everything from the view from my windshield and the information that is on my dashboard to the music that is playing through my speakers. It is how comfortable I am sitting right where I am sitting: neither moving forward or backward.

I realize that while we all have a long road ahead of us, the future is still on the horizon. And though we all have a past filled with experiences, both good and bad, like looking through a rear-view mirror they slowly fade into the distance of time. The trouble begins when we only observe life from these two perspectives, the past or the future, because it is then that we forget to check in with our own personal dashboards. Do you have enough to fuel? Is your engine cooling properly? Are you traveling the appropriate speed?

To me, these are the indicators of the here and now: the present. If we never take time to address these indicators, we can rest assured that sooner or later, somewhere down the road we will have unexpected road bumps, detours or a complete breakdown. Thus making life less of a fantastic journey and more of a drudgery.

That said, today I'm going to focus on my here and now. I'm going to temporarily forget about the road that lies before me (in all it's twists and turns) as well as the miles of heartache and/or happiness that I've traveled in the past. It's time to check my gauges. Maybe I'll stop off at a diner to refuel, or maybe I will just find a pretty spot, park in the shade, turn up the radio and just enjoy the view. I'll get back on the highway of life tomorrow.

As always – Enjoy Your Life!

John Aaron Villarreal


Bio: I am a Houston based, male massage therapist and wellness coach specializing in pain management and health programs for individuals over the age of forty. I laugh - a lot. I'm quirky but sincere. And, while I'm not a counselor, I do listen and I do care: Except for the times that I don't. That’s a joke - Did I mention that I like to laugh? Anyway, visit my website, call or email me and let's get together to talk about you, and the many ways to live life better!

 The Legal Stuff: I write to inform, inspire and encourage my readers to enjoy all that life has to offer.
The content and information on this site is not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent disease.
Please consult your physician prior to starting any exercise, diet or wellness program.

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