Living in the Present

During a parent-teacher conference, my fourth grade teacher told my parents that I daydreamed a lot. I suppose even at an early age I had my head in the clouds. The negative aspects are that I can zone out in boring classes or work meetings, have my mind wander somewhere else, lose track of my location and pay poor attention to details. The positive aspects are the imagination and creativity that comes with being a dreamer, envisioning the great potential of things and generally easy going nature. During my two week stay in Thailand last year, I met a monk at a Buddhist temple that was sharing his wisdom. He talked about staying present and not letting the mind wander like while sitting in traffic. A year wiser, I continue learning about the importance of being truly present in the moment. When the mind wanders to the past or the future, it goes to situations and places outside of our control and at the cost of losing the very moment you are alive in. The more that the mind escapes from reality or the present moment, the more of  fantasy world can be created. I try to apply the living in the present now by focusing during boring meetings and less pondering in general and it’s true, I find more beauty surrounding me and devote my attention to the people or environment surrounding me.