Living In

“If you are depressed you are living in the past. If you are anxious you are living in the future. If you are at peace you are living in the present.” (Lao Tzu)

As a child, I was simply fascinated with the possibility of time travel. As an adult, if I was to time travel it would be into the future for one reason, and not for the same reason Neal Asher would.

 “If I could time travel into the future, my first port of call would be the point where medical technology is at its best because (like most people on this planet) I have this aversion to dying.”

My reason centers on I’ve gotten used to having household appliances as well as central air conditioning. (I hate to be hot inside of any house.)

Did you know that there is a name for mental time travel? It’s known as chronesthesia, which is the brain’s ability to think about the past, present, and future.  Did you know in your mind that we all time travel on a regular basis?

You travel backwards in time when you…

1.     Listen to old songs you used to love.

2.     Visit memorable places.

3.     Read old journals (physical or online blogs).

4.     Smell various aromas.  

5.     Visit or call your family

6.     Reflect, and give thanks. 

You travel forward in time when you…

1.     Visualize the future. 

2.     Write down your goals. 

3.     Just relax, and enjoy the present. 

4.     Take action on your life.

When I am confronted with tough decisions, I imagine meeting myself from the future.  The future me says this:

“You have an opportunity to change everything today. Your whole life hinges on today‘s actions. You have two choices to make. You can choose to act, or continue to wait.

One path leads to greatness. The other path leads to a life where you will look back on a day when you could have spoken up, or reached out. This moment is of great value. Don’t waste it.”

“We are all time travelers in a sense. We enter a new timeline with every choice we make or refuse to make. We alter time with every movement, thought, and emotion. They are all ripples in the cosmic sea of energy.” (Expanded Consciousness)[i]

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[i] Sources used:

·                “Chronesthesia – Research Shows Evidence of Mental Time Travel” by Guest Contributor

·                “Time Travel 101 – Techniques for Reliving the Past and Seeing the Future” by Sid Savara