We often hear the phrase “There’s no time like the present” as a call to action, a reminder to get something done now, and not leave it until later on. But what if there’s more to that saying than first meets the eye. What if the reason there’s no time like the present is because there’s no time at all?
Bear with me as I unpack this.
What we call “the present” isn’t a fixed point on a timeline. It’s not a fleeting slice of time sandwiched between the past and future. It’s an abstraction, a mental label we place on the immediacy of Life as it unfolds.
But Life doesn’t need labels. It doesn’t wait for us to name it. Life is simply happening - undivided, seamless, and free from the concept of time.
The Illusion of Time
The mind loves to divide Life into past, present, and future. It creates a timeline, or what I call a mind-line, where events are neatly ordered and the self is positioned somewhere in the middle.
But pause and look closely:
Can you find the past anywhere but in memory?
Can you find the future anywhere but in imagination?
Even the “present moment” feels like something to hold onto, as though it’s slipping away. But this grasping comes from the idea that time is real. In truth, there’s no past to recall, no future to anticipate, and no present to seize. There’s only this: the dynamic, ever-changing flow of Life.
Life Happening
What we call “the present” is just a word pointing to the immediacy of what’s happening. But Life isn’t divided into moments. It doesn’t move from one point to another. It simply is.
Time is a convenient story - a tool we use to measure change and organise experience. But it’s not the essence of Life. Life isn’t bound by past or future, and it doesn’t need a “present moment” to exist. It’s whole, seamless, and happening as this.
Here’s an invitation to explore the timeless nature of Life:
Pause and Notice: Without referring to memory or imagination, what’s here right now?
Drop the Story of Time: Can you sense Life happening, without dividing it into past, present, or future?
Rest in the Flow: Notice how Life doesn’t need your intervention. It doesn’t need to be measured or grasped - it simply moves.
Beyond the Present
The phrase “There’s no time like the present” takes on new meaning when we see through the abstraction of time. It’s not about living in a specific moment; it’s about recognising that Life is never bound by time at all.
There’s no past to regret, no future to hope for, and no present to hold onto. There’s just this - Life, moving effortlessly, unfolding naturally, free from the constraints of time.
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