The Mind As A Time Machine (#62)

The human mind as a time machine. We are constantly traveling to the future and to our pasts in our mind, but why? Why is it so difficult to be in the present moment? I created my own time machine. The wandering mind isn’t a bad thing, but we need to learn how to be aware of where we are currently. When constantly reflecting on the past and hoping for a different future, we can dampen our spirits and lose sight of our goals.

I can recall years ago when life was very turbulent and my mind was on hyperdrive. I was at a loss of my present moment and constantly reflected on my “when I was this or that.” Then my brain would quickly fast forward to the dreams of endless possibilities. My Flux Capacitor was at a full 1.21 Gigawatts of power and all I could do is do the back and forth through time. The mind as a time machine was at times overwhelming.

Reflecting on my life’s highlights

My wonderful ADD was a great contributor to the endless journey. I went to the past to some amazing highlights of my life. I have been very fortunate and done so many amazing things in my time on this earth. When there was a lull I would check out the past. Being a photographer, I have an array of images that I have taken that I would scan pretty often. Sometimes I would wander in thoughts of when the time was better for me.

The wandering in the past was a way for me to avoid my present timeline which wasn’t what I wanted for myself. For some reason, I believe that I felt that it wouldn’t get better by doing it. Time went by this way and my brain would go to the future with hopes and dreams of a different life. The biggest issue with that period was that the constant rewind and fast forward didn’t seem to nudge me to realize that I was capable of making the changes necessary to go after what I wanted.

Becoming choiceless

I finally hit the bottom but found myself able to look up. Fortunately enough I had peers around me that had been where I was. They were able to overcome their constant time traveling. They had all said very similar things to help me get my mind right. The words of encouragement were very inspiring. Some would say, “Look at what you have been able to do with your life, you can go even farther again.”

The time-traveling wasn’t productive or healthy. I wasn’t looking at it in a good and healthy way. I wasn’t enjoying my present moments. What I needed to realize was that I was doing it and stop the boohooing so that I could make the necessary changes.

My mind as a time machine was always time traveling, even in the good parts of my life. I needed to celebrate the present moments more with gratitude. Be grateful for the things you have. Be grateful for the love and healthy relationships you have with others, be grateful for your health, and be grateful for being alive.

Treasuring what you have

If some of the things in your life aren’t going the way you want, stop, and look at what you have within. I promise you there are so many others that are nowhere near as fortunate as you are. One thing I don’t usually talk about is my health. For the past 10 years, I have had many issues with my neck and back. Many things weren’t working the way they should have and I went through 4 surgeries in 6 years. It has been challenging because I have some limitations and there are many days that the pain is so intense I am not able to do the things I want or need to do.

I am learning about my physical structure and learning what I am able to do and going from there. There are many things I let go that I enjoyed in my life because I felt I couldn’t do them anymore. I have stopped that madness because I am luckily not bedridden. Where there is a will there’s a way. If you think you can’t do something, take a look at some of these quadriplegic people bound to wheelchairs. See what amazing things they are doing! Get inspired and stop thinking that things will never get better.