The amount of time most people spend not being present is enormous. More than that, it is a massive amount of unproductive, useless and wasted time. It is not an exaggeration to say that many people spend most of their day in a state of non-presence.
We waste time thinking about the past, usually about depressing things like losses, failed relationships or other negative experiences. We replay these experiences over and over in our head, thinking that if we had done this or said that things would have turned out differently. We often blame others, but more often we blame ourselves.
Often, these negative memories are accompanied by unhealthy emotions such as bitterness, resentment and guilt. These emotions, when left to simmer within us, can literally become toxic, affecting our physical and mental well-being.
The other side of the coin is the future. We spend hours thinking about the future; more specifically, worrying. We worry about our health, our finances, our children and our careers. We overload our brains with "what if? what if I lose my job? what if I fail the exam? what if I miss that deadline? what if I can't pay the mortgage? what if I can't pay the mortgage? what if I fail the exam? what if I miss that deadline? what if I can't pay the mortgage?
