When we experience something incredible, is it more enjoyable in that moment, or does it become more enjoyable when we see it from the future? It’s a wonderful question, and as soon as you read or hear it, the mind starts to wonder about its answer.
However, probably the question isn’t meant to be answered directly; it carries a hidden meaning. Instead of seeking an answer, perhaps we should look at the question itself.
The essence of the question may be suggesting that as long as we are alive, we are constantly creating and experiencing moments. A moment can be as simple as a walk or just sitting in a chair. Right now, you are reading this article —that’s your moment. I am writing this script—this is my moment.
I’m sitting on a chair, facing a window. I see the computer screen in front of me, with a beautiful view beyond it. I’m wearing sunglasses, my hands are on the keyboard, a cup of tea is beside me. I’m listening to music while crafting these words. What a beautiful moment I am enjoying right now. Let me take a sip of tea. Ah, that was good. Trust me, much better than previous sips. I took another sip, simply because I truly enjoyed it. I’m here, fully present in this moment, and I feel good. I am amazed at being in the present.
Did you notice how I began to enjoy my moment? It was by talking about its details. To truly enjoy the moment, one must immerse themselves in its details. Focusing on the details draws your mind away from distractions into the present.
Eckhart Tolle, the German-American philosopher, believes that life is happening right now, in this moment; there is no past or future at all. He wrote a whole book about this particular topic, “The Power of Now.”
And actually, if you think a little, you will realize that he is right: life is all about now; it’s happening right in this moment. The things that happened in our past were experienced in the present moment, and the things that are going to happen in our future will also be experienced in the present, we will be there at that moment. So, he tries to explain that if we humans somehow begin to live in the moment, we will eventually enjoy the whole of life.
Additionally, the question also highlights that the present moment can be enjoyed again through our memories. If our minds provide us this opportunity, why not enjoy a moment several times? You can create a beautiful story from past moments and share it with those around you. You can also simply think about it and enjoy those moments again whenever you want. However, don’t miss the moments passing by right now. You are creating moments every single day. If you are fully present in each moment, you will enjoy them just as much as past moments. You don’t need to miss the things that happened previously because you can create wonderful moments every single day.
In fact, those who miss their past deeply often have powerful imaginations. If that’s the case, you have the power to look around and enjoy the wonderful things happening all the time. Use your powerful imagination to experience something incredible in the present moment. Guess what? By doing so, you are making new wonderful memories for tomorrow. Enjoy the present, convert it into memory, make more beautiful moments, and keep repeating the process. Eventually, you might realize that living in the moment is more fun compared to seeing it from the future. Oh wow, we found the answer! Looking at our past moments is enjoyable, but being in the moment is a much smarter move. After all, life is all about experiences—the more we experience different things, the more we live.
And let me relate a funny personal story. I was sitting with two friends at a dinner table, enjoying our meal. Just to practice being in the moment, I started to verbalize what I was doing. I said, “With this piece of bread, I took a piece of meat and potato, mixed it with some curry, and now it’s going in my mouth. Hmm, tasty . . .” Both of them laughed at my commentary while I was enjoying the taste of the food.
I then asked one of them, “How is the food?” He replied, “Very delicious.” I asked again, “Did it get more delicious after my commentary, or was it delicious for you even before that?” He replied, “To be honest, it got delicious after I heard your commentary.”
He began to feel the taste of the food because he came to the moment out of his imagination.
