Here and now.

Just a few days ago, I was exercising and listening to a podcast by Ram Dass, an American spiritual teacher who studied at Stanford University and authored many influential books. In the episode, he shared a five-line phrase that struck me almost immediately:

“Don’t prolong the past,
Don’t invite the future,
Don’t alter your innate wakefulness –
Don’t fear appearances.
There is nothing more than that!”

As I listened, I felt an almost aching clarity. Ram Dass’s words sounded so simple and direct—yet embodying them feels like an unreachable ideal. I find myself doing the exact opposite, dwelling on past memories, especially painful ones. I replay them in my mind, again and again, as if each repetition makes the hurt feel more real, more permanent.

One painful thought leads to another. The more I dwell on these memories, the more I begin to worry about the future. I start imagining the ways things could go wrong, bracing myself for heartbreak before it even happens. It’s as if I’m stuck in a cycle of reliving and pre-living pain, unable to just be in the present moment.

These thoughts weigh on me, draining my mental peace and making me feel disconnected. I find myself distancing from others, losing patience and joy in everyday interactions. At times, I feel as though I’m not even steering my own life, as if I’m being directed by some unknown force. I feel so unhappy, trapped in this loop of sadness, and life feels heavy, even meaningless.

And yet, maybe just recognizing this pattern is the beginning of change. Perhaps I can take a small step toward finding calm by simply being aware of this tendency. It’s hard to let go of past pain and future worries, but maybe, bit by bit, I can remind myself that there’s a quieter, more peaceful place within me—one that exists when I’m not holding on to yesterday or fearing tomorrow.