The Precious Present (part 2/2)

In an instant the man was happy. He realized that he was in the Precious Present. He raised both hands triumphantly into the cool, fresh air. He was joyous ... For one moment ... But then, just as quickly as he had discovered it, he let the joy of the present moment evaporate. He slowly lowered his hands, touched his forehead, and frowned. The man was unhappy - again.

"Why," he asked himself, "didn't I see the obvious long ago? Why have I missed so many precious moments?" "Why has it taken me so long to live in the present?" As the man remembered his fruitless travels around the world in his search for the Precious Present, he knew how much happiness he had lost.

He had not experienced what each special time and place had to offer. He had missed a great deal. And he felt sad. The man continued to berate himself. And then he saw what he was doing. He observed that he was trapped by his guilt about his past.

When he became aware of his unhappiness and of his being in the past ... He returned to the present moment. And he was happy. But then the man began to worry about the future. "Will I," he asked, "be able to know the joy of living in the Precious Present tomorrow?" Then he saw he was living in the future and laughed - at himself.

He listened to what he now knew. And he heard the wisdom of his own voice.

It is wise for me to think about the past and to learn from my past ... But it is not wise for me to be in the past ... For that is how I lose myself.

It is also wise for me to think about the future ... And to prepare for my future ... But it is not wise for me to be in the future ... For that, too, is how I lose myself. And when I lose myself ... I lose what is precious to me.

It was so simple. And now he saw it. The present nourished him. But the man knew it was not going to be easy. Learning to be in the present was a process he was going to have to do over and over ... Again and again ... Until it became a part of him. Now he knew why he had enjoyed being with the old man.

The old man was totally present when he was with the younger man. The old man was not thinking about something else or wishing that he was somewhere else. He was fully present. And it felt good to be with such a person. The younger man smiled at himself, the way the old man used to smile. He knew. I can choose to be happy now ... Or I can try to be happy when ... Or if ...

The man chose NOW! And now the man was happy. He felt at peace with himself. He agreed to savour each moment in his life ... The apparently good and the apparently bad ... Even if he didn't understand. For the first time in his life, it didn't matter. He accepted each of his precious moments on this planet as a gift.

I know that some people choose to receive the Precious Present when they are young. Others in middle age. And some when they are old. Some people sadly never do. I can choose to receive the Precious Present whenever I want.

As the man sat thinking, he felt fortunate. He was whom he was where he was. And now he knew! He would always be whom he was where he was.

He listened again to his thoughts. The Present is what is. It is valuable. Even if I do not know why. It is already just the way it is supposed to be. When I see the Present, accept the Present, and experience the Present, I am well, and I am happy. Pain is simply the difference between what is and what I want it to be.

When I feel guilty over my imperfect past, or I am anxious over my unknown future, I do not live in the Present. I experience pain. I make myself ill. And I am unhappy.

My past was the Present. And my future will be the Present. The Present moment is the only reality I ever experience.

As long as I continue to stay in the Present, I am happy forever: Because forever is always the Present.

The Present is simply who I am, just the way I am ... Right now. And it is precious. I am precious. I am the Precious Present.

It was as though he could hear the old man talking. And then he smiled. And his smile widened. And he laughed. He felt great joy. He knew he was listening, not to the old man ... But to himself.

It felt good for him to be with himself - just the way he was. He felt he knew enough. He felt he had enough. He felt he was enough. Now.

He had finally found the Precious Present. And he was completely happy. Several decades later ...

The man had grown into a happy, prosperous, and healthy old man. One day a little girl came by to talk to him. She liked to listen to "the old man," as she called him. It was fun to be with him. There was something special about him. But she didn't know what it was.

One day, the little girl began to really listen to the old man. Somehow she sensed something important in his calm voice. He seemed very happy. The little girl couldn't understand why. "How could someone so old," she wondered, "be so happy?" She asked and the old man told her why.

Then all of a sudden, the little girl jumped up and squealed with delight! As the girl ran off to play, the old man smiled. For he heard what she had said ... Wow! she exclaimed. "I hope someday someone give me ... "The Precious Present."