“FUTURE “ as the “NEXT NOW”?

Today, Nik,? in his daily column([email protected]), ?posted an article- “Sad Statistics” about our obsession with numbers.

He was saying “If you look around every day, you'll find plenty of statistics and numbers indicating that life is quite terrible.” ?

?For example, the cost of living could be going up, your economy could be sliding down, your competitor could be doing very well, or your performance in the last three months could be slipping by x percentage!

?That makes us feel bad. We feel sad, inadequate, insecure, uncomfortable, bitter…whatever.

?And we seem to voluntarily choose this!

?So, why are we constantly looking at numbers?

?There is a critical need to understand this obsession

?1. The obsession with numbers comes in because numbers help us to be “specific” about things.

?2. Specificity demands/requires of US to know about the quality or value of something, through "MEASUREMENT".

?For example, concerning my health and my diabetic or non-diabetic condition, having my fasting sugar below 100 is a good number and Having my post-dinner sugar level below 160 is a good control.

?This is one reason why we are obsessed with numbers. Why, That is The BIGGEST reason is that we are obsessed with numbers -? we are obsessed with measurement.

?4. Then you ask “Why we are obsessed with measurement?”, it's because we are obsessed with evaluation, and more so with comparative evaluation.

?This is where the catch comes in: we are constantly caught up in comparative evaluation.

But what is wrong with that?

a. Every comparative evaluation that mankind does or people do most of the time is not with the current reality as much as it is about some past and futuristic thing.

b. We have this idea of evolution and growth, which is futuristic. We have this idea of doing better, We have this idea of becoming more competent, and We have this idea that life will be a dream sometimes in the future, which are all futuristic.

?we have this preoccupation with the future.

?How does this future-obsessive "mental mechanism" operate?

?a. In the present, We do a quick evaluation of the past, which you think is either "just average"? or "just okay".

?b. We conclude ( as a thought) ?that it is not good enough and come to a conclusion PLUS resolution ( a thought again). ?

?c. We call it a plan, strategy, pathway...ESSENTIALLY A "THOUGHT", stored in mind, referred and reviewed again and again.

?My past says, "Okay, I did this," but the present, EVALUATING THE PAST, ?says, "But that was not good enough."… gives you a feeling of inadequacy.

?Therefore, quickly you rush into this resolution by saying, "Therefore, I will have a future which is better." Rush to a “ Futuristic THOUGHT”. Yet another Idea.

?Nothing can be more illusory than this swing between creating an idea of the past and creating (sometimes a mindless) idea of the future, because what gets lost in that is a beautiful opportunity of fully living, completely EXPERIENCING ?in the present.

?In the present, there is so much clarity. For example, in the present right now, to me the clarity is that “ Right now, I will work, and complete this conversation”.

I keep at it and in another/next few minutes I will have some logical end to that.?

?Even "next" is a futuristic thing. But if I am very deeply, with all my heart, looking at the current reality that I am "focusing"... good chances are that it will naturally take me to indicate what should be next.

And then once we know the indication of? "what needs seems to emerge",? that flows into the NEXT PRESENT!

This is all that is required. I think this ability to know what is in hand and complete devotion to doing that very well automatically WILL indicate what needs to emerge, the NEXT PRESENT.

?Let FUTURE ?be the name of the “ONCOMING NEXT PRESENT”!

?In awareness & Love

Raja Krishnamoorthy

4-3-2024: 5 pm