🦅 SoundEagle in Best Moment Award from Moment Matters 🔖🏆

Moment Matters

A spiritual outlook with a minimalist perspective on life that is conducive to happiness is often predicated on living in the present moment through mindful awareness emancipated from the vagaries of the subconscious and the itinerants of the mind.

Notes: Click on the headings listed in the navigational MENU above to jump to different sections within the post.
Hovering with a mouse cursor over a hyperlinked text in this post will bring up a tooltip showing descriptive information or instruction.

ჱܓSoundEagle🦅

Testimonial:

Dr Bob Rich 3 May 2020 at 1:01 PM
Sound Eagle, I have read your learned dissertation. It is more a book than a blog post. 🙂
As you know, I am in basic agreement with your thesis, so will award you a Ph.D. in presentology.

🕰 Best Moment Award 🏆‍

Awarding the people who live in the moment,
The noble who write and capture the best in life,
The bold who reminded us what really mattered ―
Savouring the experience of quality time.

RULES:

Winners re-post this completely with their acceptance speech. This could be written or video recorded.

Winners have the privilege of awarding the next awardees! The re-post should include a NEW set of people/blogs worthy of the award; and winners notify them the great news.

RESOURCES:

What makes a good acceptance speech?
- Gratitude. Thank the people who helped you along the way
- Humour. Keep us entertained and smiling
- Inspiration. Make your story touch our lives
Get an idea from the great acceptance speeches, compiled in MomentMatters.com/Speech
Display the award’s badge on your blog/website, downloadable in MomentMatters.com/Award

[Note: MomentMatters.com seems to be defunct.]

🔖 Acceptance Speech‍ 🎙

Introduction

It was early Friday morning. SoundEagle🦅 woke up and found a new comment posted on the “About” page barely an hour ago:

Moment Matters | 15 March 2013 at 5:47 AM

Hi, how are you?
Good news, we are giving you the “BEST MOMENT AWARD”. Congratulations and enjoy the rest of the day!

On the basis that no specific reasons were provided to explain why SoundEagle🦅 has been chosen to receive the award, one could perhaps presume that the musical magic of the filmic logic must have worked its charm:

Nothing comes from nothing,
Nothing ever could.
So somewhere in my youth or childhood,
I must have done something good.

Or rather, in keeping more to the spirit of Moment Matters, one could perhaps conclude that SoundEagle🦅 must have been awarded for living in the moment, for being noble in writing and capturing the best in life, for being so bold as to remind “us what really mattered ― Savoring the experience of quality time.”

SoundEagle🦅 is certainly very grateful for a lot of reasons. And yet, how should or could an Acceptance Speech be reasonably delivered regardless of the specific degrees or details of an awardee’s achievements or contributions? Perhaps one should or could take a moment to fathom the fabric and interconnectedness of life amidst all its trials and tribulations, and throughout its course of evolution bolstered by systemic interdependencies and resiliencies.

“If I can do it then anybody can.”

There have been the myth and romanticization of the self-made person succeeding against all odds. The brilliance of certain accomplishments can be so blindingly bright that some people may fail to recognize that many things and conditions have to fall into place for someone to achieve success. Even the greatest heroes, rulers or tyrants need thousands or millions of supporters and followers, plus good climate and sufficient natural resources.

Certain high-flyers, champions or celebrities may utter “If I can do it then anybody can.”. On the surface, their statement may seem to suggest that they are modest, democratic, inspiring and down-to-earth individuals who have succeeded through sheer effort and determination, and that they are encouraging others to do so in order to realize their dreams and potentials.

Yet, one cannot help wondering that these successful people are selling an idea or image of success based on the belief that an individual can transcend or overcome any obstacle. They seem to think that everyone has the same chance and is on a level playing field, and that all paths are equally open to all folks. They have forgotten that many conditions, peoples and infrastructures have to be present within an environment or a society for certain pursuits, successes or achievements to take place.

For example, if one were to put those same high-flyers, champions or celebrities in a more disadvantaged socioeconomic or sociodemographic area, or in a third- or fourth-world country saddled with poverty, crime and other social and cultural issues, then the utterance “If I can do it then anybody can.” could be readily exposed as being vain and vacuous. Also, had they been born into a world in which they have to face poverty, corruption, delinquency, famine, disability, disease, discrimination, slavery, war, anarchy, exploitation, marginalization, despotism, ostracism, obscurantism and so on, none of them would go very far or have the opportunity to enter their chosen professions.

Moreover, those who are enticed or charmed by the preconceived notion “If I can do it then anybody can.” would have ignored that the structural nature of inequality, the systemic nature of social organization, the influential sphere of sociopolitical ideology, the bargaining power of socioeconomic status, the social relations to the means of production, the transactional advantages of social capital, the symbolic commands of cultural capital, and the pervading effects of social stratification and epistemic injustice, let alone the perennial issues of race, age, gender, genetics (nature) and upbringing (nurture), can create advantages for some individuals and disadvantages for others, and thus can be the underlying causes of an individual’s success or failure regardless of how hard the person works, as the following videos demonstrate.

Often oblivious to the abovementioned multifactorial issues affecting and determining the life chances of individuals, various people have been led to believe that emulating the elites, the trailblazers, the rich and famous, the successful and glamorous, or the powerful and eminent in any fashionable domain or socially desirable field of human endeavour by studying the putative formulae or recipes for success, is the answer to the realization of their hopes and aspirations, the ticket to their future prosperity, the pathway to their prospective ascendancy, the means to be ahead of the pack, or the route to reach the top of social hierarchy. Countless supposedly inspirational quotations, slogans and even rules of life (as well as vast amounts of promotions and profits) have been sourced or created from bestsellers and brand leaders in the form of books, videos, seminars, workshops, conferences, coaching sessions, mentoring classes, networking avenues and the like. In rethinking the obvious at the Polymath Project and citing the research of Steven Pinker, Charles Chu, a “writer in Science, Education, Politics, Culture, Self Improvement, Life Lessons, Psychology, Entrepreneurship”, warns us of confusing or conflating accomplishments due to genetic endowment or native talent with those due to diligence or determination, reminds us of the myths or illusions of tabula rasa, “success formula”, functional training, parenting advice and education programme, as well as cautions us against the fallacy of “doing what the best do” in the quoted paragraphs chosen as follows:

Here’s one version of the greatest in the world fallacy that I see everywhere:

“To be the best in the world, study the best in the world and do what they do.”

For a long time, I was convinced this was true.

To be a successful investor, I thought you could read books by Warren Buffett or George Soros and emulate them. To be an elite basketball player, I thought you could spend nights and weekends watching footage of Lebron James or Kobe Bryant and train like they train.

Or — as many self-help books claim — I thought you could be successful by imitating the routines of the best in the world…

Humans are not blank slates. We have different personalities, different strengths and weaknesses. You can’t run the same ‘success formula’ through each of us like you can run an algorithm through a computer. Sadly, most of the world still seems to think you can.

Tom Brady’s training program isn’t going to work for me. Why? Because I’m not Tom Brady. I don’t have his reaction speed, his proprioceptive awareness, or his ability to recover from training.

Most of us are — by definition — closer to the average, and what works for the exceptional doesn’t always work for the ordinary. If everyone at your local YMCA had to train like a Navy SEAL, most of them would be in the hospital before dinnertime.

This one-size-fits-all, do-what-others-do kind of thinking is naive, but it seems to be everywhere, even in the scientific literature.

Take education, for example. In school, I was able to get A’s without studying. Yet, I looked down on other kids and blamed them for their bad grades, saying, “They get bad grades because they aren’t working hard enough.”

In retrospect, that was both dishonest and egoistical of me. I didn’t work hard at all: Most of my time in school was spent playing video games. My grades were due to talent, and I don’t deserve praise for that.

Another example is parenting advice. The Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker has been pointing out for over a decade now that much of parenting advice is BS (or at least severely misguided).

Like people selling functional training, people selling parenting advice regularly mistake luck (genetics) for skill (parenting).…

Likewise, you shouldn’t look at the kids who get into Harvard or Princeton and apply their study methods. Why? For the same reasons: A big part of getting into top-tier schools is SAT scores. SAT scores are a glorified IQ test, and much of IQ is genetic.

A good education program should make everybody better, not simply help the kids who are already good at taking tests succeed.…

If you think about it, “do what the best do” is another form of argument from authority.

Disadvantaged people’s lives and voices are far less privileged, facilitated and represented because of the sociocultural, political and economic statuses that they cannot acquire, access or amass by having the social class, birthright, credential, identity or habitus that their advantaged counterparts possess in disproportionate abundance via structural causes and institutional means, insofar as their disadvantages are also the result of their ongoing and systemic “exclusion from the institutions devoted to making sense of, describing, and explaining human experiences — the institutions, such as newspapers and universities, that are most able to add new concepts to the common stock of concepts that we use for communicating to other people about our experiences. Miranda Fricker argues that unequal participation in the activities that shape the categories through which we understand the world makes some people’s lives less intelligible — sometimes, less intelligible to themselves, and often, less intelligible to others.”^[❆] This lack of intelligibility and recognition further degrades and alienates (the lives and voices of) the underprivileged and disenfranchised. The tentacles of differential advantage, cumulative dominance, runaway polarization, rampant inequality and epistemic injustice can penetrate even what are purportedly or supposedly meritocratic spheres of life, including science and academia, thus furnishing dramatically more opportunities, recognitions and resources for those who are already well-established, well-resourced, well-cited or well-connected in their respective fields, as abbreviated in the following chosen and concatenated excerpts from Wikipedia:

The Matthew effect of accumulated advantage, described in sociology, is a phenomenon sometimes summarized by the adage that “the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.” The concept is applicable to matters of fame or status, but may also be applied literally to cumulative advantage of economic capital.

In the sociology of science, “Matthew effect” was a term coined by Robert K. Merton to describe how, among other things, eminent scientists will often get more credit than a comparatively unknown researcher, even if their work is similar; it also means that credit will usually be given to researchers who are already famous. For example, a prize will almost always be awarded to the most senior researcher involved in a project, even if all the work was done by a graduate student. This was later formulated by Stephen Stigler as Stigler’s law of eponymy – “No scientific discovery is named after its original discoverer” – with Stigler explicitly naming Merton as the true discoverer, making his “law” an example of itself.

Merton furthermore argued that in the scientific community the Matthew effect reaches beyond simple reputation to influence the wider communication system, playing a part in social selection processes and resulting in a concentration of resources and talent. He gave as an example the disproportionate visibility given to articles from acknowledged authors, at the expense of equally valid or superior articles written by unknown authors. He also noted that the concentration of attention on eminent individuals can lead to an increase in their self-assurance, pushing them to perform research in important but risky problem areas.

In science, dramatic differences in the productivity may be explained by three phenomena: sacred spark, cumulative advantage, and search costs minimization by journal editors. The sacred spark paradigm suggests that scientists differ in their initial abilities, talent, skills, persistence, work habits, etc. that provide particular individuals with an early advantage. These factors have a multiplicative effect which helps these scholars [to] succeed later. The cumulative advantage model argues that an initial success helps a researcher [to] gain access to resources (e.g., teaching release, best graduate students, funding, facilities, etc.), which in turn results in further success. Search costs minimization by journal editors takes place when editors try to save time and effort by consciously or subconsciously selecting articles from well-known scholars. Whereas the exact mechanism underlying these phenomena is yet unknown, it is documented that a minority of all academics produce the most research output and attract the most citations.

On the one hand, the myth of “If I can do it then anybody can.” is rooted in the fact that people can have a strong tendency or proclivity to overestimate the ability and autonomy of the individual, and to underestimate the role and influence of the social, as exemplified by the abovementioned sociological factors and living circumstances that condition people’s lives from cradle to grave. On the other hand, the myth is perpetuated by certain mental predispositions or cognitive biases, insofar as people tend to evaluate situations based on their assessments, experiences and outcomes of their own prevailing circumstances. Overall, people characteristically commit or experience attribution bias:

In psychology, an attribution bias or attributional bias is a cognitive bias that refers to the systematic errors made when people evaluate or try to find reasons for their own and others’ behaviors.^[1]^[2]^[3] People constantly make attributions regarding the cause of their own and others’ behaviors; however, attributions do not always accurately reflect reality. Rather than operating as objective perceivers, people are prone to perceptual errors that lead to biased interpretations of their social world.^[4]^[5]

Attribution bias is very closely related to self-attribution bias, another long-established concept in psychological research dealing with the common phenomenon of people attributing successful outcomes to their own skills, endeavours, capacities or acumens, and unsuccessful outcomes to factors beyond their control. People are prone to self-attribution bias because of their tendency to ascribe successes to their own character, personal skills or innate aspects such as talent or foresight, but to ascribe failures to external factors, unforeseen circumstances, others’ behaviours or outside influences, blaming luck, team, trends or confounding factors for derailing their goal or progress. In other words, self-attribution bias is a cognitive phenomenon in which people attribute successes or positive events to dispositional factors and failures or negative events to situational factors. The upshot of self-attribution bias is that people are more inclined to tout, inflate or overestimate their achievements or positive attributes, but to deflect, ignore, minimize or underestimate their shortcomings or negative attributes; they become overly enthusiastic about positive feedback or praises, and unnecessarily dismissive of negative feedback or criticisms. In attempting to uphold dignity, retain pride, preserve ego, boost self-image or affirm self-esteem, people often defend, justify or rationalize certain outcomes through cognitive biases, perceptual distortions and psychological illusions, becoming more proud, vain, rigid, defensive, complacent, indifferent, irrational or recalcitrant, and thus rendering themselves much more likely to err in judgement and decision-making to the detriment of achieving considerably and consistently more desirable, holistic, optimum or superior outcomes. Self-attribution bias is also known as self-serving bias as follows:

A self-serving bias is any cognitive or perceptual process that is distorted by the need to maintain and enhance self-esteem, or the tendency to perceive oneself in an overly favorable manner. It is the belief that individuals tend to ascribe success to their own abilities and efforts, but ascribe failure to external factors. When individuals reject the validity of negative feedback, focus on their strengths and achievements but overlook their faults and failures, or take more responsibility for their group’s work than they give to other members, they are protecting their ego from threat and injury. These cognitive and perceptual tendencies perpetuate illusions and error, but they also serve the self’s need for esteem. For example, a student who attributes earning a good grade on an exam to their own intelligence and preparation but attributes earning a poor grade to the teacher’s poor teaching ability or unfair test questions might be exhibiting the self-serving bias. Studies have shown that similar attributions are made in various situations, such as the workplace, interpersonal relationships, sports, and consumer decisions.

Both motivational processes (i.e. self-enhancement, self-presentation) and cognitive processes (i.e. locus of control, self-esteem) influence the self-serving bias. There are both cross-cultural (i.e. individualistic and collectivistic culture differences) and special clinical population (i.e. depression) considerations within the bias.…

The distorted views or beliefs commonly encountered in people’s ignorance, misunderstanding or underestimation of prominent factors in their social upbringing and systemic socialization practices with respect to how people justify or rationalize the outcomes of their efforts or achievements are also the result of people succumbing to the cognitive processes of motivated reasoning, which is a sort of inferred strategy of justification and a kind of implicit regulation of emotion, in which people’s attitudes, decisions, deliberations and judgements are seldom neutral but often motivated by beliefs and outcomes. People often so desire to maintain or achieve these beliefs and outcomes that their thought processes favour, emphasize or gravitate towards those attitudes, decisions, deliberations and judgements that seek or amplify positive emotional states and avoid or attenuate negative emotional states as a way to dissolve mental discomfort or circumvent psychological stress known in the field of behavioural science as cognitive dissonance. The crux of motivated reasoning is therefore rooted in the tacit connections between emotions and biases, which can cast considerable impacts and raise serious ramifications in both the reliability and validity of judgement and decision-making. Some of these issues are summarized by Wikipedia as follows:

Motivated reasoning is an emotion-biased decision-making phenomenon studied in cognitive science and social psychology. This term describes the role of motivation in cognitive processes such as decision-making and attitude change in a number of paradigms, including:

Cognitive dissonance reduction^[1]

Beliefs about others on whom one’s own outcomes depend^[1]

Evaluation of evidence related to one’s own outcomes^[1]

The processes of motivated reasoning are a type of inferred justification strategy which is used to mitigate cognitive dissonance. When people form and cling to false beliefs despite overwhelming evidence, the phenomenon is labeled “motivated reasoning”. In other words, “rather than search rationally for information that either confirms or disconfirms a particular belief, people actually seek out information that confirms what they already believe”.^[2] This is “a form of implicit emotion regulation in which the brain converges on judgments that minimize negative and maximize positive affect states associated with threat to or attainment of motives”.^[3]

There is always the risk or trap of being so seduced by the glory and accolade heaped upon those who are successful, triumphant or idolized that one ceases to think critically about the deeper implications of an innocently sounding statement or quotation that is as simple, promising and exuberant as “If I can do it then anybody can.”. This lack of critical mindset, faculty or attitude can readily lead one to latch onto a sanguine outlook or feel-good moral position that neglects or negates one’s personal responsibility to make sense of, and account for, the relevant history, contexts and contents as well as the moral, social and political bearings and principles pertinent or peculiar to tall and shining achievements. Overly optimistic beliefs as typified by the statement or quotation “If I can do it then anybody can.” may also be a sign or symptom of survivorship bias or survival bias, which is a fallacy of focusing on the people (or things) that succeed or prosper in some selection process, whilst disregarding those that fail or flop due to their lack of support, resource, visibility, fame, renown, honour or recognition. This form of bias can produce significant blinkers in people’s perceptions and conceptions of success and failure, as outlined in Wikipedia as follows:

Survivorship bias or survival bias … can lead to false conclusions in several different ways. It is a form of selection bias.

Survivorship bias can lead to overly optimistic beliefs because failures are ignored, such as when companies that no longer exist are excluded from analyses of financial performance. It can also lead to the false belief that the successes in a group have some special property, rather than just coincidence (correlation proves causality). For example, if three of the five students with the best college grades went to the same high school, that can lead one to believe that the high school must offer an excellent education. This could be true, but the question cannot be answered without looking at the grades of all the other students from that high school, not just the ones who “survived” the top-five selection process.

Some of the most salient and revealing examples of people disproportionately looking up to, believing in, or concentrating on, those with tall and shining achievements can be exemplified by the so-called “Horatio Alger myth” or “rags to riches”, in which persons of impoverished origins seemingly ascend to middle-class prosperity or even upper-class affluence from humble backgrounds or abject poverties through sheer determination and hard work, though often what ultimately changes their fates and facilitates their emancipations is actually some extraordinary act of redemption, bravery, courage or honesty, certain chance encounter or arranged meeting with a benefactor, influencer, impresario or luminary, and/or a particular set of people, events, happenstances or circumstances, that not only engender the substantive forces and resources required for achieving unstinting liberation and thoroughgoing ascension to eminence, but also sustain such dramatic socioeconomic transformation in the lives of such persons. The ramifications of such myths promulgated by many highly celebrated stories, whether real or fictional, can be far-reaching insofar as the stories deeply entrench certain cultural stereotypes and highly elevate specific life trajectories, whilst they obfuscate, supplant, suppress, usurp or subvert critical social issues and moral matters with romanticized visions of success, mythologized tales of prosperity, legendary retelling of the golden age, or unrealistic archetypes of fame and fortune, whilst emphasizing or even enshrining the narratives of the victorious and the authorities of the jubilant, some of which can also be considered as exemplars of the monomyth or hero’s journey. For instance:

Rags to riches refers to any situation in which a person rises from poverty to wealth, and in some cases from absolute obscurity to heights of fame — sometimes instantly. This is a common archetype in literature and popular culture (for example, the writings of Horatio Alger, Jr. and recently J. K. Rowling).

Criticism

The concept of “Rags to riches” has been criticised by social reformers, revolutionaries, essayists and statisticians, who argue that only a handful of exceptionally capable and/or mainly lucky persons are actually able to travel the “rags to riches” road, being the great publicity given to such cases causes a natural survivorship bias illusion, which help [to] keep the masses of the working class and the working poor in line, preventing them from agitating for an overall collective change in the direction of social equality.

The abovementioned criticism is valid and defensible insofar as the underlying picture or concealed reality beneath such myths is a far cry from something openly inspiring and galvanizing towards achieving some wholesale social change for the good of many instead of just a lucky few or an exceptional minority, and for genuinely initiating and sustaining fundamental or widespread social change for the betterment of all and sundry. Nostalgia and mythology can indeed interact and entangle with the popular beliefs, common narratives, received wisdoms and putative legends of our times through the dynamics of cultural reproductions and social constructions. In other words, nostalgia and mythology can function like social narcotics, rendering many contemporary issues as well as certain past events and recorded histories less pitched, contentious, disputable or problematic than they really are or have been, especially when they have been fermented by survivorship bias or survival bias, which, for better or worse, further reinforces the allure of such myths, and thus perpetuates the legitimacy of their concomitant genres, stories and characters, considering how exuberant, promising and optimistic the cultural phenomena, social aspirations, and collectively held beliefs generated by such myths can become in popular media and contemporary societies, as well as in various exhortations, slogans, manifestos, catchphrases and quotations resulting from such myths.

Hence, even at the exalted moment of celebrating one’s foremost achievement or major milestone, one should be vigilant about championing or glorifying a certain feat, goal or quest, whose accessibility, feasibility and desirability can often far exceed the fundamental purview and spirit of fairness, practicability and sheer determination. In that regard, and in accepting this award, let it be repeated that SoundEagle🦅 is certainly very grateful for a lot of reasons, including being spared so far by stray bullets and comets, by the deadliest academics and epidemics, as well as by the apocalyptic revolt of our fellow nonhumans and Mother Nature forevermore affected by mounting anthropogenic forces, living, as we are, on borrowed time and resources. In addition, SoundEagle🦅 would like to show further appreciation of being conferred the BEST MOMENT AWARD by reciprocating with the 🦅 SoundEagle Appreciation Award 🎖.

Having been given the opportunity to present this acceptance speech with free rein to discuss the salient points of how people view and attribute success, SoundEagle🦅 would like to continue to provide the rationales for circumventing the expected exuberance and celebratory tone in validating an occasion and in confirming the legitimacy of an event or milestone worthy of rejoicing or exaltation, especially if the event or milestone includes or produces the often uncritically normalized if not glorified behaviour or mindset of prompting participants or urging members to emulate the deeds or successes of certain individual(s). As an alternative to or substitute for such behaviour or mindset, let us mark such an occasion, event or milestone with more gratitude, acknowledgement, humility and empathy towards the larger scheme of things and less pride and gratification towards the celebrated achievement or achiever per se, by pausing every now and then for bringing about deep reflections in order to ground ourselves in the moment and to keep (the highs and lows of) our lives in perspective. One way of enacting or facilitating such a reflective pause that may serve as a meditation on being grateful for each day can be demonstrated by the following video containing time-lapse photography by Louie Schwartzberg, music montage created and composed by Gary Malkin, with narration written and spoken by Benedictine monk Brother David Steindl-Rast.

From the perspectives of social sciences such as sociology, anthropology and archaeology, the putative personal freedom to individualize, the aspiring determination to accomplish, the ambitious resolve to succeed, and the career trajectory to pursue, are all tightly bound to social upbringing, cultural capital and collective empowerment as well as socioeconomic reality and demographic profile, not just to individual aptitude, capacity, competence or intelligence. Practising an “anti-capitalist eco-philosophy that’s a blend of existentialism, Zizek and Buddhism”, a graduate “from Temple University with a major in Anthropology and a minor in Religious Studies and Environmental Science” gives “a short critique of identity”, according to which both the environmental dependency of social outcomes and the situational primacy of human development are the dynamic results of people’s lives being embedded in, and moulded by, class structures, social stratifications, cultural reproductions and communication frameworks, as propounded in social constructivism, social constructionism and symbolic interactionism:

…Being an individual seems to be the daily life of people living under capitalism. This insistence on being an individual, a self-made man, is a double-edged sword. On [the] one hand, you are allowed to claim all of your achievements as a result of your own sense of self, but on the other hand all of your failures and shortcomings are yours as well. It’s within this context that the self-help and mental health industry positions itself: helping individuals [to] fight their demons alone. Good mental health is living happily as an individual. Bad mental health is dissatisfaction from living as an individual. But this is how you help people, on the scale of individuals.

But we are not individuals, or if we are [then] the term needs to surrender a lot of the power associated to it. We are people born into situations. Suburbanite parents on the hill say of young African-American boys “Well if I was born in the ghetto I would refuse to sell drugs.” No, you wouldn’t, because you wouldn’t be you then. The very act of saying “I” invokes your entire upbringing. Your very identity is constructed out of society. Society furnishes you with the raw materials out of which you make yourself. The proof of this is that we all identify with the word “I” but none of us invented it. We had to be taught it. At best, “I” refers to a mixture of your will and the larger environment, a compromise between the world you were born into and your desires for yourself that would have come true had it not been for the world. At worst, “I” is an amputation, a denial of the world that they exist in. This is where people like to play the same game as those suburbanite parents did: they like to imagine themselves as divorced from their circumstances, and able to jump into anyone’s life at anyone’s moment to cast judgment…

In addition, racial and gender inequalities as well as various forms of discrimination, polarization, marginalization, victimization, corruption and mismanagement can detrimentally affect the quality of life and also restrict the life chances of vulnerable citizens, especially those who have inadequate means, deprived welfare, limited visibility and meagre representation. The continual generating and even condoning of such disadvantages occasioning hardships, deprivations and sufferings coupled with their sheer visibility, prevalence, persistence and repercussions are very symptomatic of how certain societies accommodate their underprivileged civilians comprising not just low-wage workers, LGBTQIA+ communities, persons of colour, indigenous people, immigrants, refugees, prisoners, minorities, outliers, and victims of crime, violence or coercive control, but also the poor, homeless, old, infirm, mentally challenged, disabled or disfigured, as well as those who are misunderstood, ostracised, (intolerably) different, perceived to be a threat, or subjected to epistemic injustice, the last of which constitutes “unfair treatment that relates to issues of knowledge, understanding, and participation in communicative practices. These issues include a wide range of topics concerning wrongful treatment and unjust structures in meaning-making and knowledge producing practices” caused by ignoring, distrusting, disbelieving, discrediting, distorting, misrepresenting, misunderstanding, excluding, marginalizing or undervaluing an entity’s words (thus causing testimonial injustice) or an entity’s meanings, status, standing, agency, authority or contributions (thus causing hermeneutical injustice), either of which is perpetrated against the entity based on their culture, identity, race, sex, sexuality, gender presentation or disability; or based on how their experiences are (mis)interpreted by others due to their exclusion from awards, activities, events, societies and institutions (such as scholarships, literary circles, social clubs, symposiums, news media, universities and museums) devoted to understanding, describing and explaining human experiences, or their exclusion from participation in television production, filmmaking, journalism, publishing, academia, law and the other institutions and industries that help people to appreciate or make sense of the entity’s life, all too often a life at risk of or (con)strained by be(com)ing destitute, deprived, underprivileged, underrepresented, marginalized, exploited, oppressed, dehumanized or even persecuted. Most of the time, or far too often, the symptoms rather than the causes are addressed in severe cases or entrenched situations, even to the extent that both perpetrators and victims of injustice are ill-served by the prevailing systems or institutions and their respective laws and legislation.

A Meditation on Life: Delayed Gratification

In pondering the meaning of life, (im)mortality, purpose and time, Frank J Peter expresses his longing for living in the moment versus the uncertainty of the future in his post entitled “A Meditation on Life: Delayed Gratification”:

Wouldn’t it be nice if living in the moment was a simple matter of living for the moment?

Alas, life is not that easy for a creature who knows that tomorrow often matters more than today…

… so much so that today’s pleasure, comfort, ease, and safety must be sacrificed for a possibly better future…

… a future that may never come.

There lies a perennial confrontation of reality and a contradiction of expectation, etched in the faith, belief or conviction that tomorrow matters more, and in the fear, anxiety or apprehension that the conceivably nicer future may never eventuate. Faced with such an existential incongruity, one could be forgiven for showing a sign of resignation or a sense of acceptance, and for choosing to live in the moment for the moment, albeit momentarily, if not from time to time or even from moment to moment, “so that today’s pleasure, comfort, ease, and safety” can be remembered and appreciated in acknowledgment of their transience and finitude, and in anticipation of their coming into better fruition through delayed gratification. Moment matters as the respite, retreat or punctuation in a hurried life beset with vicissitudes.

Five days later, Frank J Peter affirmed in a post entitled “A Meditation on Life: Immortality” that whilst action necessarily occurs in the present, such action may involve transcending the limitations of present concerns through the imagined experience of other times and places outside one’s past or projected future, experience that maybe not only a source of pleasure but perhaps also a means of psychic and intellectual growth, as a way of transcending the ever-present existential constraints of “NOW”, and the transitory nature of the highs and lows in emotional life:

All I can do is NOW, but NOW is not all there is.

NOW is the opportunity to delight in the glorious privilege and responsibility of projecting my character beyond the fleeting joys and sorrows of the here and now to times and places I can never know or enjoy.

Scientific Account of Living in the Moment

Could some novel approach to conducting scientific experiments provide tentative inklings or solid confirmations on the pragmatic, utilitarian, emotional, psychological, existential, phenomenological, spiritual or metaphysical aspects of living in the moment? Such experiments should ideally reveal that living in the moment is actually beneficial to the human psyche; that being in the moment calms the wayward mind and curbs its desire to revisit the past and project into the future; that the mind focussing on the moment is one that is less prone to ruminating on what is or is not happening; and that staying in the moment promotes harmony, peace, geniality, benevolence or contentment and reduces conflict, anxiety, aggression, malevolence or unhappiness.

Born out of a scientific research project investigating happiness and what makes life worth living, the innovative survey app (coded and designed by Visnu Pitiyanuvath) called “Track Your Happiness” was conceived by Harvard psychologist Daniel T Gilbert and Matthew Killingsworth as part of the latter’s doctoral research at Harvard University, after having majored in Biomedical Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Economics in his Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Duke University, and having worked as a product manager in the software industry. As a Health and Society Scholar of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Matthew Killingsworth “studies the nature and causes of human happiness,… His recent research has focused on the relationship between happiness and the content of everyday experiences, the percentage of everyday experiences that are intrinsically valuable, and the degree of congruence between the causes of momentary happiness and of one’s overall satisfaction with life.”

Stay in the Moment and Stop Wandering

According to the abstract of their research paper entitled “A Wandering Mind Is an Unhappy Mind”, the “Track Your Happiness” app allows people to report their feelings in real time by using “smartphone technology to sample people’s ongoing thoughts, feelings, and actions and found (i) that people are thinking about what is not happening almost as often as they are thinking about what is and (ii) found that doing so typically makes them unhappy.” The research outcome indicates that a mind focusing on the present is more conducive to happiness and better for people’s moods than a mind wandering or daydreaming. In other words, people are often happiest when they are lost in the moment. In contrast, the more their mind wanders, the less happy they tend to be. According to Lauren Schenkman who reported the survey results in her 2:01PM 11 Nov 2010 entry entitled “Daydreaming Is a Downer” published in the Science magazine of American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS):

Snap out of it! That daydream you’re having about eloping to the Bahamas with Johnny Depp or Angelina Jolie is leaching away your happiness. In a new global study, researchers used iPhones to gauge the mental state of more than 2000 volunteers several times a day—even when they were having sex. The results indicate that, if you want to stay cheerful, you’re better off focusing on the present, no matter how unpleasant it is.

The human mind is remarkably good at straying from the moment. That ability allows us to remember the past, plan for the future, and “even imagine things that never occur at all,” says Matthew Killingsworth…

…The daydreaming was not good for people’s moods: Volunteers were unhappier when their thoughts were elsewhere. Statistical tests showed that mind-wandering earlier in the day correlated with a poorer mood later in the day, but not vice versa, suggesting that unhappiness with their current activity wasn’t prompting people to mentally escape. Instead, their wandering minds were the cause of their gloom. Mental drifting was a downer for subjects during even the dullest activities, like cleaning, the researchers found.…

The findings “challenge the foundations of psychology,” says Lisa Feldman Barrett, a psychologist and neuroscientist at Northeastern University in Boston, who pioneered data gathering with Palm Pilots. Psychologists assume that the mind responds to a stimulus out in the world, but in this study, “it almost looks like the stimulus is irrelevant.”

For people who are non-technically minded and unfamiliar with research methodology and statistical procedures, the one-page research paper of Daniel T Gilbert and Matthew Killingsworth entitled “A Wandering Mind Is an Unhappy Mind” can be abbreviated as follows:

Unlike other animals, human beings spend a lot of time thinking about what is not going on around them, contemplating events that happened in the past, might happen in the future, or will never happen at all. Indeed, “stimulus-independent thought” or “mind wandering” appears to be the brain’s default mode of operation (1–3). Although this ability is a remarkable evolutionary achievement that allows people to learn, reason, and plan, it may have an emotional cost. Many philosophical and religious traditions teach that happiness is to be found by living in the moment, and practitioners are trained to resist mind wandering and “to be here now.” These traditions suggest that a wandering mind is an unhappy mind. Are they right?

First, people’s minds wandered frequently, regardless of what they were doing. Mind wandering occurred in 46.9% of the samples and in at least 30% of the samples taken during every activity except making love.…

Second, multilevel regression revealed that people were less happy when their minds were wandering than when they were not [slope (b) = –8.79, P < 0.001], and this was true during all activities, including the least enjoyable.…

Third, what people were thinking was a better predictor of their happiness than was what they were doing.…

In conclusion, a human mind is a wandering mind, and a wandering mind is an unhappy mind. The ability to think about what is not happening is a cognitive achievement that comes at an emotional cost.

As can be seen, the research paper begins with the premise that the intellectual ascent of the human species through the process of evolution is a double-edged sword insofar as the evolved mental capacity in humans to organize themselves for complex social life necessitates significant cognitive demands and social proclivities for perceiving, processing and predicting behavioural controls and intentions by mulling over past and future events, or replaying real and imaginary scenarios, all of which lead people to become perpetual mental captives wandering from thought to thought independent of mental stimuli and physical activities, as much as their nomadic hunter-gatherer ancestors had been wandering from place to place independent of the environmental potentials for settling down. Whilst the paper does not prescribe any remedy, it does suggests that the itinerant mind with its haphazard terrains can turn into the blissful mind with harmonizing landscapes when it can be reined in by philosophical disciplines, calmed by meditative practices, or settled by spiritual traditions. The research has been showcased on numerous media channels, including New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, NPR, Good Morning America, TEDxZaragoza and TedTalks, the last of which is shown bellow:

Stop Facebooking and Smell the Roses

Considering that billions of people are using social media and smartphones in one form or another regularly, and thus surrendering themselves to the addictive trappings of digital life, virtual reality, gaming fantasy and other instantaneous online interactions whilst also multitasking and concentrating amidst various distractions in their real-life activities such as eating, drinking, driving, walking, talking, reading and so on, there are compelling reasons to heed the words of Jesse Hawley (a biologist, a freelance science writer and illustrator as well as a communications advisor at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)), who wrote imaginatively and persuasively in his essay entitled “6 Ways Facebook is a Life Leeching Succubus” as follows:

A mainstay of Eastern philosophy is living in the moment. It’s difficult to argue with the healthiness of this practice.

Basically, if you’re constantly thinking about the future ‘what’s for dinner’, ‘it’ll be so cool when the new Smash Bros. comes out’, ‘life will be much better when I have a real job’, then you will never experience the present — and thus you’ll live a virtual life. The ‘ideal’ life that you’ve always dreamed about can never be tasted in the present.…

That’s why it’s nice to eat slowly and clearly perceiving a nice meal. To ‘stop and smell the roses’ is both literal and figurative. Do it.

Enter: Facebook – **PHWOOOOAAR** – it stomps down the street, leaving a puddle of pus and garbage juice in its wake. It stomps over and throws the flower-smelling hippy into its gargantuan, gaping face orifice.

Maybe I’m exaggerating for the sake of illustration, but Facebook is certainly efficient at stopping people from living in the moment.

I’ll admit, sometimes FB users are living in the moment, but it’s someone else’s – like: what that someone else is eating for dinner right now.

Instead of experiencing a live show, the FB-possessed are too busy taking blurry, pixelated photos. Instead of enjoying nature, these people are scouting out ideal profile picture angles. Instead of thinking ‘how lucky we are to have the chance to even experience reality’, we are thinking ‘how can my current situation be synthesised into a status update?’

In other words, people who are overly fixating on what is supposed or expected to happen in the future (or the past for that matter) are missing out on the present, thus cocooning themselves in a prolonged state of suspense, expectancy or anticipation, and entrapping themselves in a mental bubble of unrelenting momentum, as if being in the present or living in the moment is synonymous with stagnation, procrastination, unproductivity or apathy. In a figurative sense, they are already living a virtual life, even without immersing themselves in the vast digital edifice of virtual reality and social media. Yet, this existential dilemma has been further intensified and exacerbated since contemporary modern lives have become increasingly mediated by the trappings of technology, readily causing interminable intrusions and unsustainable disruptions wrought by update overdrive, information overload and multimedia overdose, let alone engendering addiction, superficiality, narcissism, status anxiety, estrangement from reality, and alienation from Nature. If discretion is the better part of valour, then distraction is the bitter part of media.

Conclusion: Change Rules and Moment Matters

Living in the moment can have far more urgency and currency nowadays, given that the pace of population growth, social change, technological succession, information explosion and content oversaturation has caused everything to be even more likely to be cramped out of existence and to recede into the past, into oblivion, into irrelevance, into historical junkyards. Whereas data used to be most commonly sorted alphabetically or relationally, nowadays reverse chronological sorting has taken centre stage insofar as much of our lives is becoming a mediated reality in which the most recent information is listed first and given the highest priority or visibility. Nowhere is such privileging of the newest most glaringly adopted and thus saturating our daily lives than the news feeds and status updates in social media. Consequently, older information is often beyond easy reach or archived separately, accessible only via persistent scrolling downwards or through specific searches with keywords or dates, assuming that one could remember them or knew what to look for in the first place.

Paralleling hectic news cycles and incessant social media updates is the domain of academics and sciences, in which specialized scholars and researchers blindingly hone their skillsets on pinpointing minutiae to outshine others in their respective microniches via the latest breakthroughs, techniques and discoveries, often involving pushing or testing temporal, financial, social, ethical and/or environmental boundaries assertively, if not irrevocably or calamitously. Gone are the big narratives and grand syntheses, unless those involved have the time, fortitude and resources to become mavericks pursuing truly revolutionary research or going against prevailing trends to wield long and meandering strokes on the large canvass of a book, let alone a multi-chapter magnum opus. The celebrated stars and their newest games in town manifesting as fashionable trends and eye-opening gadgets propped up by a potent mix, convergence or confluence of marketing strategy, intellectual property and artificial intelligence often shine all too briefly as they are inexorably eclipsed or replaced by the next big things, most of which are in turn destined for desuetude, outmodedness or unfashionableness, and thus heading towards elimination or extinction. In the world of works, ideas, narratives and identities, it would seem that authors have to contend with, or even build in, obsolescence in their stories, characters and creations, if not their very own career aspirations, trajectories and mobilities, insofar as life is a stage, and increasingly a stage occupied with fast moving act(or)s and rapidly changing scene(rie)s, which are themselves progressively augmented, audited or even supplanted by automatons and automations as well as simulations and assimilations, such that real-life is evermore lived through or captured by digital (re)presentations and virtual (re)creations, as exemplified by those populating the vast edifices of social media and online worlds, particularly Second Life, a computer-based simulated environment, where altered identities thrive in alternative realities. The concept of, and the condition for, a job for life, or even a profession for life, are becoming progressively strained, if not antediluvian, as automations and technologies replace more sections of both the blue- and white-collar domains, increasing the volatility of both the job market and individual careers. If the pace and amplitude of change were to continue, there would be considerable doubt as to how human beings, especially those who are the most unprepared, unsupported, affected, disrupted, disadvantaged or disenfranchised, would ever possess the emotional stamina and economic buffer to withstand and weather a life of constant flux and shifting reality. Whilst those who subscribe to technoutopianism would be inclined to believe or assert that automations and technologies are “neutral” because they are merely “tools” whose impacts depend on their users, they would be foolhardy and myopic to deny or ignore that automations and technologies are not only like “words” reflecting people’s narratives, needs, desires, pursuits and worldviews, but also like “swords” with double edges capable of cutting both ways, often resulting in unforeseen or unintended consequences that can be profound, far-reaching or even irreversible. After all, such “tools” and their creation, auditing and maintenance are not always the natural outcome, inevitable result or preordained progress of scientific advances. They are frequently the dynamic reflection and interplay of sociopolitical (f)actors and choices, rather than just objective products, rational outputs and efficient outcomes of technologies, especially when:

Ecosystemic principles, human rights principles and democratic decision-making are deficient or ignored.
Market logic or neoliberalism is consistently allowed to prevail at the expense of human rights and autonomy to the detriment of liberty, sociocultural capital and ecosystemic integrity.
Artificial intelligence systems cause unforeseen repercussions or engage in biases and discriminations to the detriment of equality, diversity and sustainability.
Analytics, algorithms and outputs of artificial intelligence replicate or exacerbate biases in extant data and policies, or entrench inbuilt forms of discrimination, corruption or malversation.
The technology industry is controlled by market-driven definitions of efficiency and skewed towards (re)producing gadgets and services for the affluent and powerful at the expense of taking full account of the humanity and catering for all and sundry, particularly the most vulnerable, disadvantaged or impoverished.

“Existence is a series of footnotes to a vast, obscure, unfinished masterpiece”, according to Vladimir Nabokov. In that case, may the mystery of reality and the machinery of existence occasionally permit extraordinary mental clarity and vividness when we inhabit the moment! Perhaps the moment will be a very special one to remember and treasure, as it materializes at the serendipitous arrival of an epiphany; at the critical juncture of making a discovery; at the long-awaited instance of reaching a milestone; at the unique occasion of gaining an insight; at the precipice of losing the ego; at the rare summit of attaining enlightenment; at the steady conscious realization of reality’s transience; at the total surrender and acceptance of change and becoming; at the state of psychological stability and composure reached via equanimity; or at the seemingly unchanging reality of unadulterated clarity and pure awareness free from the foibles, follies and frailties of the body and mind. In any case, certain philosophical traditions and spiritual practices advocate that “living in the present moment — being fully aware of what is happening, and not dwelling on the past or worrying about the future… [by] focus[ing] on one’s current position in space and time (rather than future considerations, or past reminiscence) will aid one in relieving suffering.”

Whilst our sense of space and time is rooted in human biology and the laws of physics, it is also coloured by our sense of identity, cultural values, received wisdoms, contemporary modes of thought, epistemic principles and the like. Hence, it would be highly illuminating for those who are more technically minded or analytically inclined to be inducted into the philosophy of space and time, defined as follows:

…the branch of philosophy concerned with the issues surrounding the ontology, epistemology, and character of space and time. While such ideas have been central to philosophy from its inception, the philosophy of space and time was both an inspiration for and a central aspect of early analytic philosophy. The subject focuses on a number of basic issues, including whether time and space exist independently of the mind, whether they exist independently of one another, what accounts for time’s apparently unidirectional flow, whether times other than the present moment exist, and questions about the nature of identity (particularly the nature of identity over time).

In particular, the present moment, as far as the conscious mind can perceive it, is the only frame, window or medium that allows the presence of any mind or entity, and that permits the happening of any thought or event. Even though space and time (can be assumed or proven to) have existence apart from the human mind and body, the reverse is not true, since any mind or entity can neither exist outside space and time, nor traverse autonomously, at will or whim, the spacetime continuum to inhabit or visit the past or future, according to the scope of presentism:

In the philosophy of space and time, presentism is the belief that only the present exists, and the future and past are unreal. Past and future “entities” are construed as logical constructions or fictions. The opposite of presentism is ‘eternalism’, which is the belief that things in the past and things yet to come exist eternally. Another view (not held by many philosophers) is sometimes called the ‘growing block’ theory of time — which postulates that the past and present exist, but the future does not.

In a very real sense, both the past and future are dependent on, or are conditioned by, the present, insofar as how the past and future appear or present to us can vary with our beings, moods, values, outlooks, cultures, worldviews, biases, preferences, priorities and technologies. Indeed, at any moment, we are prone to project our current mindset and assumptions onto the past and future. Moreover, whether or not the past and future are imaginary if the present is the only tangible entity, humanity is still left with plentiful uncertainties about the exactness of the past and the inevitability of the future, insofar as the aims and means of accessing and remembering the past as well as forecasting and preparing for the future are neither infallible nor immutable, given that past events are unchangeable, existing retrospectively in memories, recollections and recorded histories, and that future events are unmanageable, existing prospectively in minds, plans and speculations.

In other words, even if our pasts exist, they are certainly well beyond our complete grasp and remembrance, as we continually forget and gloss over vast amounts of details and life events, whilst relying on the fidelity and capacity of our memories, recollections and recorded histories to save us from complete oblivion. We are largely deprived of the luxury of surveying entire lives as they unfold through time, unable to rewind, pause or fast-forward at will to examine the choices that people make and how those choices pan out. In contrast, our futures are both illusive and elusive as they channel through the natural agency of causality as well as the spatial, temporal and existential efficacy of determinism, where even our fundamental sense of free will can be ultimately baseless, illusory or precluded, leaving fate, fortune or destiny to rule the roost in spite of our best minds, plans and speculations.

That being the case, the claim or notion that only the present exists whereas the past and future do not, can still be regarded as being somewhat counterintuitive, if not somehow annoying, irritating, provoking or nonsensical. The thought or realization that existence is narrowly confined to the very present, from moment to moment, each of which is inevitably ephemeral and ultimately intractable, can be quite humbling, sobering or even vexing. It is therefore unsurprising that many insightful philosophers and inquisitive thinkers have long contemplated the impermanence of things and attempted to peer below the veneer of existence in order to fathom the depths of reality and the mysteries of existence through process philosophy (also known as processism, philosophy of organism, or ontology of becoming), which “regards change as the cornerstone of reality”, “identifies metaphysical reality with change and development”, and “covers not just scientific intuitions and experiences, but can be used as a conceptual bridge to facilitate discussions among religion, philosophy, and science”. For example, around 535 to 475 BC, the lonesome pre-Socratic Greek philosopher named Heraclitus of Ephesus, who considered himself to be a self-taught pioneer of wisdom, was well-known for his emphasis on ever-present change (as being the fundamental essence) of the world or universe, as indicated in his famous sayings:

“Nothing endures but change.”

“It is in changing that we find purpose.”

“Change is the only constant in life.”

“The only thing that is constant is change.”

“There is nothing permanent except change.”

“All entities move and nothing remains still.”

“Everything changes and nothing remains still … and … you cannot step twice into the same stream.”

“No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.”

Change has come to be regarded as the essential rather than the accidental aspect of matter and life, since Heraclitus becomes “the first philosopher for whom there exists an extant written account of an enquiry into change.” As the philosopher of becoming rather than of being, Heraclitus recognizes the fundamental changing of objects with the flow of time through his doctrine of the constant flux of matters. In other words, reality is intrinsically unstable since everything is (always in) flux. Nothing in the universe can be permanent or just permanently is. Everything is continually changing such that things come into existence in various ways or manifest themselves in different fashions, and hence are never identical for two consecutive moments as long as they exist, and therefore can never last forever and will eventually go out of existence. Since perpetual transition or transformation is the order of things, what we perceive or conceive as “things” are not actually stable objects or matters at all. In this regard, Heraclitus likens them to flames, which appear to be objects, but are really not so much matters as processes, through which endless series of transformations happen simultaneously and instantaneously. The notion that reality is rooted in process rather than substance is as profound as it is disconcerting and revolutionary, considering that human beings have always coveted stability, permanence and even immortality through their cultures, monuments and spiritual beliefs, in which reliability, posterity or perpetuity can be achieved or hoped for. Process philosophy sweeps away the certitudes that humanity covets, and treats material manifestations as though they are mere flickers of light emanating from flames, appearing and then disappearing into thin air. No flickers are ever the same and can never be seen again.

Since the time of Plato and Aristotle, philosophers have imagined or posited true reality to be timeless and based on permanent substances, whilst processes are denied or subordinated to timeless substances. Change is accidental, whereas the substance is essential. Therefore, classic ontology rejects or denies any full reality to change, which is conceived as only accidental and not essential. This classical ontology is what made (a theory of) knowledge possible, as it was believed that a science of something in becoming was an impossible feat to achieve. Opposing the classical model of change as merely accidental (as argued by Aristotle) or entirely illusory, devoid of any essence, reality or substance, is the new existential paradigm of process philosophy, which identifies metaphysical reality with change and development; and which regards change as the foundation of reality — the very basis of being conceived as becoming. In such a reality, change is the law of life, the law of universe, the law of everything, as fundamental as cause and effect, ruling over all and sundry. Nothing in such a reality is constant except change and becoming. A radical departure from the classical conception of substance, permanence and change, process philosophy compels (us to believe, admit or endure) that nothing can ever escape from change or evade mutability. In Western philosophy, the significance, profundity and universality of change and becoming are still not lost on many modern philosophers and thinkers particularly in (relation to) issues of ontological commitment and metaphysical problems regarding time, matter, mind, existence, persistence and change. The following two Wikipedia excerpts respectively summarize Nietzsche’s and Hegel’s seminal views on becoming versus being:

German philosopher Friedrich [Wilhelm] Nietzsche wrote that Heraclitus “will remain eternally right with his assertion that being is an empty fiction”.^[3] Nietzsche developed the vision of a chaotic world in perpetual change and becoming. The state of becoming does not produce fixed entities, such as being, subject, object, substance, thing. These false concepts are the necessary mistakes which consciousness and language employ in order to interpret the chaos of the state of becoming. The mistake of Greek philosophers was to falsify the testimony of the senses and negate the evidence of the state of becoming. By postulating being as the underlying reality of the world, they constructed a comfortable and reassuring “after-world” where the horror of the process of becoming was forgotten, and the empty abstractions of reason appeared as eternal entities.

In the Logic, for instance, Hegel describes a dialectic of existence: first, existence must be posited as pure Being (Sein); but pure Being, upon examination, is found to be indistinguishable from Nothing (Nichts). When it is realized that what is coming into being is, at the same time, also returning to nothing (in life, for example, one’s living is also a dying), both Being and Nothing are united as Becoming.^[32]

More recently, Joseph John Campbell (26 March 1904 – 30 October 1987), an American Professor of Literature at Sarah Lawrence College working in comparative mythology and comparative religion, also emphasized becoming over being in his endeavour to formulate and popularize his approach to narratology and myth pattern studies. The result of his endeavour culminated in his seventeen-stage monomyth or hero’s journey, in which the seventeenth and final stage is attained after the hero is transformed by the adventure and gains wisdom or spiritual power, the complete mastery of which ushers in the freedom from the fear of death, which in turn leads to the freedom to live, and indeed the freedom to live in the moment, neither anticipating the future nor regretting the past, as Campbell wrote:

The hero is the champion of things becoming, not of things become, because he is. “Before Abraham was, I AM.” He does not mistake apparent changelessness in time for the permanence of Being, nor is he fearful of the next moment (or of the ‘other thing’), as destroying the permanent with its change. ‘Nothing retains its own form; but Nature, the greater renewer, ever makes up forms from forms. Be sure there’s nothing perishes in the whole universe; it does but vary and renew its form.’ Thus the next moment is permitted to come to pass.

The ontological shift from substance (being) to process (becoming) brings the Western conception of metaphysical reality much closer to the Eastern counterparts, particularly those of Zen and Mahayana philosophy as well as various schools of Hinduism and Jainism with respect to their acceptance and contemplation of the imperfection, constant flux and impermanence of all things, such that

all of conditioned existence, without exception, is “transient, evanescent, inconstant”.^[2] All temporal things, whether material or mental, are compounded objects in a continuous change of condition, subject to decline and destruction.^[2]^[5]

In conclusion, whilst moment matters, matters change. It is the eternal human condition to embrace the present and to live with change, not just in good and bad times, but also in the remembrance of a bygone era, in the reminiscence of a cherished event, in the celebration of a notable achievement, in the recollection of an inherited story, in the curation of a momentous past, and in the hope for a meaningful prospect or sensible future to arrive, at any moment, if not at the best moment.

Best Moment Award Winners

Awarding the people who live in the moment,
The noble who write and capture the best in life,
The bold who reminded us what really mattered ―
Savouring the experience of quality time.

THE WINNERS OF THE BEST MOMENT AWARD ARE:

[Note: The winners listed above are originally designated by MomentMatters.com]

Don’t forget to celebrate with your followers! Tweet your success with hashtag #MomentMatters. Congratulations, winners!

Please kindly be informed that SoundEagle🦅 has also been given the same award by Melanie Jean Juneau at http://themotherofnine9.wordpress.com/2013/06/30/best-moment-award/, where her excellent “speech” or “confession” oozes with an intimate account of her personal journey into the world of blogosphere, which has enabled the blossoming of her creative side and nurturing quality. Melanie’s gift and that from Moment Matters have turned the BEST MOMENT AWARD into a double honour.

[Note: MomentMatters.com seems to be defunct.]

🕰 Moment in Perspective‍ 💠

The Best Moments Involve a Loss of Control

First you look for discipline and control. You want to exercise your will, bend the language your way, bend the world your way. You want to control the flow of impulses, images, words, faces, ideas. But there’s a higher place, a secret aspiration. You want to let go. You want to lose yourself in language, become a carrier or messenger. The best moments involve a loss of control. It’s a kind of rapture, and it can happen with words and phrases fairly often — completely surprising combinations that make a higher kind of sense, that come to you out of nowhere. But rarely for extended periods, for paragraphs and pages — I think poets must have more access to this state than novelists do.

— Don Delillo

Find Your Eternity in Each Moment

A wise man will know what game to play to-day, and play it. We must not be governed by rigid rules, as by the almanac, but let the season rule us. The moods and thoughts of man are revolving just as steadily and incessantly as nature’s. Nothing must be postponed. Take time by the forelock. Now or never! You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment. Fools stand on their island opportunities and look toward another land. There is no other land; there is no other life but this, or the like of this. Where the good husbandman is, there is the good soil. Take any other course, and life will be a succession of regrets. Let us see vessels sailing prosperously before the wind, and not simply stranded barks. There is no world for the penitent and regretful.

— Henry David Thoreau

The Norm of the Moment

Like an animal, an infant lives in the forever-present. When she is miserable, life has always been terrible, and always will be, an unending, terrifying vista of woe. When she is happy, everything has always been wonderful, and happiness is a sea of joy. As adults, intellectually we are far beyond this, with an appreciation of past and future, change and progression. However, our automatic reactions to our surroundings are still that of the baby, of the animal. Change is perceived, judged, remembered in comparison to the norm of the moment.

— Bob Rich

The Moment According to Stoic Philosophy

Staying in the here and now, or living in the moment, is not exclusively a new-age concept or slogan expounded by some modern-day spiritual gurus or free-willing proponents such as Eckhart Tolle, the renowned author of “The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment”. Its profundity is not lost to the best of ancient philosophers who were attempting to comprehend reality and understand the world by deploying the power of reasoning and the cogency of rationality without appealing or deferring to superstition, revelation, religion, authority or tradition, let alone succumbing to peer pressure or herd mentality. Focussing on the moment is indeed one of the cornerstones of Stoicism, which is described in Wikipedia as follows:

Stoicism is a school of Hellenistic philosophy that flourished throughout the Roman and Greek world until the 3rd century AD. Stoicism was founded in Athens by Zeno of Citium in the early 3rd century BC, and was heavily influenced by certain teachings of Socrates, while stoic physics are largely drawn from the teachings of the philosopher Heraclitus. Stoicism is predominantly a philosophy of personal ethics which is informed by its system of logic and its views on the natural world. According to its teachings, as social beings, the path to happiness for humans is found in accepting this moment as it presents itself, by not allowing ourselves to be controlled by our desire for pleasure or our fear of pain, by using our minds to understand the world around us and to do our part in nature’s plan, and by working together and treating others in a fair and just manner.

In other words, the goal of life according to Stoicism is to live in accordance with Nature through the development of self-control and fortitude as a means of overcoming unruly and destructive emotions. The following quotations demonstrate that Marcus Aurelius, a practitioner of Stoicism who became Roman emperor from 161 to 180AD, exhibits the conviction of his own guidance and self-improvement to focus on the here and now. The aim is to stay calm and focused by withdrawing from the hustle and bustle of existence, and from the wasteful lapses of the wandering mind:

“Confine yourself to the present.”

“Forget everything else. Keep hold of this alone and remember it: Each one of us lives only now, this brief instant. The rest has been lived already, or is impossible to see.”

“Every hour focus your mind attentively on the performance of the task in hand, with dignity, human sympathy, benevolence and freedom, and leave aside all other thoughts. You will achieve this, if you perform each action as if it were your last.”

― Marcus Aurelius (Meditations)

A Stoic Analogy of Life by Marcus Aurelius

Marcus Aurelius once said,
“Time is like a river made up of the events which happen, and a violent stream; for as soon as a thing has been seen, it is carried away, and another comes in its place, and this will be carried away too.”

This stoic analogy is a useful one to consider when going through the inevitable vicissitudes of life. The events that occur in our lives and arise in time are transient. Each event flowing down the river.

Stoicism invites us to consider a different outlook when we are tasked with overcoming negativity in life. The stoic approach is to accept each and every event entirely and to simply change or perceptions about them.

This change in perception in some instances is all that we have, we must constantly exercise this human endowment.

Time is like a river which ends with a waterfall. The waterfall is symbolic of our deaths. The stoic comes to term with his death long before it happens. He see’s [sic] no point in worrying about that which is not within his power, he understand that wisdom lies in completely accepting the fate of the human condition.

Time is a river that moves only in one direction, forward. The stoic learns to enjoy the ride of life, she enjoys the happy days but does not cling onto them. Fundamentally she understands that good days just like bad days are borrowed, they will not last because the nature of life is change ‘transience’.

The Stoic makes loves to the present moment, nothing besides it could ever be sweeter. The past is an illusion its events being shadows that have been warped by the mind, the future is a mystery not worth entertaining. The present is all that is real to the stoic, the present is indeed a present, life the greatest gift.

― Issac Therealizedman (Therealizedman and Three Lessons From Three Stoics | How to conquer life)

10 Tips to Start Living in the Present

“The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.”

One of the best, unforeseen consequence of simplifying our lives is it has allowed us to begin living our lives in the present. Eliminating nonessential possessions has freed us from many of the emotions associated with past lives that were keeping us stuck. And clearing our home has allowed us the freedom to shape our lives today around our most important values.

Choosing to live in the past or the future not only robs you of enjoyment today, it robs you of truly living. The only important moment is the present moment. With that goal in mind, consider this list of ten tips below to start living your life in the present:

Remove unneeded possessions.
Smile.
Fully appreciate the moments of today.
Forgive past hurts.
Love your job.
Dream about the future, but work hard today.
Don’t dwell on past accomplishments.
Stop worrying.
Think beyond old solutions to problems.
Conquer addictions.

― Joshua Becker (becomingminimalist.com)

The Art of Now: Six Steps to Living in the Moment

Life unfolds in the present. But so often, we let the present slip away, allowing time to rush past unobserved and unseized, and squandering the precious seconds of our lives as we worry about the future and ruminate about what’s past. “We’re living in a world that contributes in a major way to mental fragmentation, disintegration, distraction, decoherence,” says Buddhist scholar B. Alan Wallace. We’re always doing something, and we allow little time to practice stillness and calm.

We need to live more in the moment. Living in the moment—also called mindfulness—is a state of active, open, intentional attention on the present. When you become mindful, you realize that you are not your thoughts; you become an observer of your thoughts from moment to moment without judging them. Mindfulness involves being with your thoughts as they are, neither grasping at them nor pushing them away. Instead of letting your life go by without living it, you awaken to experience.

Living in the moment involves a profound paradox: You can’t pursue it for its benefits. That’s because the expectation of reward launches a future-oriented mindset, which subverts the entire process. Instead, you just have to trust that the rewards will come. There are many paths to mindfulness—and at the core of each is a paradox. Ironically, letting go of what you want is the only way to get it. Here are a few tricks to help you along.

To improve your performance, stop thinking about it (unselfconsciousness).
To avoid worrying about the future, focus on the present (savouring).
If you want a future with your significant other, inhabit the present (breathe).
To make the most of time, lose track of it (flow).
If something is bothering you, move toward it rather than away from it (acceptance).
Know that you don’t know (engagement).

― Jay Dixit (psychologytoday.com)

Mindfulness Tips: How to Live in the Moment

Being present is the only way to enjoy life to the fullest. These realistic tips turn everyday activities into opportunities to be mindful.

Are you living in the present?

The idea of being mindful—being present, being more conscious of life as it happens—may seem contradictory to those who are used to sacrificing living for pursuing their goals, but cultivating mindfulness will help you [to] achieve your goals and enjoy life more. In fact, you’re more productive when you’re mindful, among other science-backed benefits.

But more importantly, being present is undoubtedly the only way to enjoy life to the fullest. By being mindful, you enjoy your food more, you enjoy friends and family more, you enjoy anything you’re doing more. Anything. Even things you might think are drudgery or boring, such as housework, can be amazing if you are truly present. Try it: Wash dishes or sweep or cook, and remain fully present. It takes practice, but it’s incredible.

Do one thing at a time
Act slowly and deliberately
Do less
Put space between things
Spend at least five minutes each day doing nothing
Stop worrying about the future
When you’re talking to someone, pay attention
Eat slowly and savour your food
Live slowly and savour your life
Make cleaning and cooking become meditation

― Leo Babauta (rd.com)

How to Live in the Moment

Living in the moment is not always easy. Sometimes our thoughts are overwhelmed by regrets about past events or anxiety about the future, which can make it hard to enjoy the present. If you are having a hard time living in the moment, there are some simple strategies that may help. There are little things that you can do throughout your day, such as creating a mindfulness cue, learning to meditate, and performing random acts of kindness. Keep reading to learn more about how to live in the moment.

Method 1: Developing Your Awareness

Start small.
Notice sensory details about routine activities.
Redirect your mind when it wanders.
Choose a mindfulness cue.
Change a routine.
Learn how to meditate

Method 2: Incorporating Mindful Activities

Be grateful for breaks.
Focus on one part of your body.
Smile and laugh more often.
Practice gratitude.
Do kind things for others.

― (wikihow.com)

How to Live in the Present

What does it mean to live fully in the present moment? It means that your awareness is completely centered on the here and now. You are not worrying about the future or thinking about the past. When you live in the present, you are living where life is happening. The past and future are illusions, they don’t exist. As the saying goes “tomorrow never comes”. Tomorrow is only a concept, tomorrow is always waiting to come around the corner, but around that corner are shadows, never to have light shed upon, because time is always now.

“The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.” – Buddha

Why living in the present will change your life.

If you’re not living in the present, you’re living in illusion. That seems to a be a pretty good reason to live in the present, doesn’t it? But how often are we worrying about things that have yet to come, how often do we beat ourselves up for mistakes that we’ve made, no matter how much time has passed? The answer is too much. Not only will living in the present have a dramatic effect on your emotional well-being, but it can also impact your physical health. It’s long been known that the amount of mental stress you carry can have a detrimental impact on your health. If you’re living in the present, you’re living in acceptance. You’re accepting life as it is now, not as how you wish it would have been. When you’re living in acceptance, you realize everything is complete as it is. You can forgive yourself for the mistakes you’ve made, and you can have peace in your heart knowing that everything that should happen will.

“If you worry about what might be, and wonder what might have been, you will ignore what is.” -Unknown

Don’t try to quiet your mind
You are not your thoughts
Breathe, you’re alive
Music for meditation
Practice mindfulness

― Dominika and Cedric (paidtoexist.com)

How to be Present: 5 Steps for Living in the Here-and-Now

Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude. — Denis Waitley

We’re always worrying or planning for the next “big” thing, never just living in the moment.… overall, the general state of affairs in peoples’ lives is that of worry, grief, anxiety, and fear. Simply put, we’re not happy, we’re not present, and we don’t live in the here-and-now.

Now, the difference between being present and being happy is miniscule. Truly happy people are able to live in the moment, all the time. They’re able to be present, and simply enjoy the journey of life, and not just worry about the destination.…

Daily Gratitude
Physical Activity
Limit Distractions
Find a Way to Give
Find the Beauty in Something

― Robert L Adams (wanderlustworker.com)

Learning To Live in the Moment Will Change Your Life

Wonder and curiosity chase the future. Reflection and contemplation encompass the past. The present, however, is often lost on us. Living in the moment could change your life for the better, so why do you lose yourself to your thoughts on what’s next or worry about what’s happening elsewhere? Looking to the future can provide hope, especially through difficult times. Reflecting on the past can also provide healing and closure. Focusing on either one obsessively, however, quickly becomes deteriorating to our mental and emotional health.

Simply put: the mind doesn’t like to be still, it likes to be engaged through this constant absorption of surrounding stimuli. Due to the mind’s nature, it can be a challenge to solely reflect, sit in stillness and just think. If we’re constantly thinking about somewhere we are not, the subconscious mind will focus on this without us even realizing it. In choosing to actively concentrate on the present, we direct both our subconscious and conscious minds back to reality, surrounding people, and present opportunities. However, this often involves an active decision on your part to focus on the present moment.

You’ve probably heard the phrase, “What you put into an experience, you get out of an experience”. In order to glean more from daily life, much more effort is required when it comes to actively focusing on the present. According to Psychology Today, “Living in the moment—also called mindfulness – is a state of active, open, intentional attention on the present”. In reality, the present is all that exists. For a successful, bright future to be possible, we must live for today, both recognizing the possibilities and seizing the opportunities we have today.

How “savouring the moment” is a fantastic way to begin an active way of thinking
Active Engagement
Practice a “Do Nothing Moment”
Learn to Let Go

― Kelly-Grace Struble (thoughtcatalog.com)

Emerging into the Moment

We meditate so we can develop the art of being here, with what is going on around us, right now. We know that the mind doesn’t stay in that “Right now mode” on a continuous basis, but we can learn to reach forward and reach back while we return to the moment because we have the tools to do so. The message is that we don’t need to work our asses off trying to be here all the time. Working your butt off trying to be something you are is a waste of time. What we want to achieve is to slowly narrow the parameters of time until we are right here. A big part of this process relies on not stopping at the idea of being in the moment. Being in the moment is only a fragment of the whole experience of being human. We need to experience the whole process.

We practice to be in the moment like a ball player practices the game. She may receive some insights on playing the game by reading, watching, talking, and thinking, but these remain useless unless she starts to play. Both areas are valuable and complement each other.

We want to practice meditation in both directions.

One, we narrow our focus to right now.

Two, we expand our focus from the now. KEEPING A FRAGMENT OF THE NOW WITH US.

― Bryan Wagner (peoplesdharma.com)

Thoughts and Reflections 10: Achieving Ourselves

The goal of life is to learn to live in the moment. Not bothered by past experiences, not worried about future possibilities. Living means experiencing now, because you can only live in the now.

But we lose that understanding of life progressively as we get into adulthood.

We learn all the wrong things. We start learning how to stay in the past or travel to future all the time.

Then we decide that we need to unlearn them.

When we decide on that, this is how the natural process of unlearning goes:

We get obsessed with a future goal; fail to get it; try again; fail to get it again; try again…

Until that one moment comes and we decide that obsessing over that goal is not that meaningful after all.

When we repeat this process for many other goals, we make a generalization: obsessing over the future often does not work out in the intended way.

Then, in the meantime, we also get stuck with past experiences. We try to forget them; we still remember them; we try again; fail again; try again; fail again.

When we repeat this process for many other experiences, we make a generalization: obsessing over the past does not help in our quest of how to live in the moment.

Then, we repeat this process for many other experiences until we generalize it to our whole past.

Once we get to a good point on both of these sides, past and future, we start living more in the moment.

But here is the catch: If we look at the two sides of this natural process, there are two words that that repeat more than others:

Try and fail

Because in that process, we try many times and fail many times.

We keep trying because unlearning brings in resistance.

We fail many times because we lost how to be in touch with reality of the now long ago. We don’t know how to do it.

At the end of this process, if we are consistent enough, we will certainly achieve something.

But not necessarily a future goal.

But we can certainly achieve our selves.

― Betul Erbasi (betulerbasi.com)

What Animals Can Teach Us about Mindfulness

Animals have much to teach us, and in many ways, if we acted more like them, as a species we humans might be better off — and a lot happier too. Mindfulness is a skill that helps many of us cope with daily life and eases the symptoms of depression, trauma, and many mental disorders — and there is no person more mindful than a cat, dog, or other animal. Even the Buddha was never as mindful as that Labrador retriever who looks at you with such soulful eyes, or that cat that sits peacefully in your window purring his little heart out.

If you have pets, watch them closely. They don’t worry about the future or fret over things that happened in the past. They don’t obsess over themselves or what others are going to think of them. They don’t beat themselves up over past transgressions or worry that they might not be acceptable. They live completely in the moment, reacting only to what they need to in order to survive and be happy. When they are given food, they happily nosh down on it, thinking about nothing except how good it tastes and how nice a newly-full stomach feels. If you ask your dog if he wants to go out for a walk, he doesn’t sit around sulking because he thought your tone was condescending; he happily jumps up and starts to dance around, sometimes even smiling (I am certain [that] dogs can smile). If you scritch [sic] your cat under the chin, she will turn her face up to you, squint her eyes so [that] they are almost closed, and begin to purr. She doesn’t worry that you might think she has bad breath. She doesn’t care! Watch a group of otters at play. They are like happy children, enjoying the water and the bliss of splashing around and swimming in it, and the joy of being together as a group.

― Lauren Bennett (luckyottershaven.com)

Why “Living in the Moment” is Bad Advice

Instead of living for the moment, it is better to live for the past—as you’d prefer to remember that moment, and your life in general. Indeed, time is fleeting. The present moment barely exists. The moment you become conscious of it, it’s over.

Today is tomorrow’s yesterday. Are you living today to give your tomorrow-self something to build off? Will you have momentum tomorrow based on your choices today? Or are you just putting off needed change until some future day?

Living for the past is really living in the present. It’s realizing that—as a forward thinking person—you’re living in the past right now. What you do right now determines the future you hope to create.

Living for the past informs how you live in the present.
How you feel about your past determines your confidence in the present.
Living for the past allows you to design your ideal future.
Living for the past empowers you to make harder and better choices.

― Benjamin Hardy (greatist.com)

Living in the Present with Religion and Truth

When they stop listening to the voice in their head that are feeding them lies, when they start living in the present and forget about past of future, then they are witnessing the truth, they are witnessing heaven on earth.

“No one besides Allah can rescue a soul from hardship.” In other words, life is your escape from pain. Once you accept life, the present moment, stop identifying with your mind and the pain that follows it, the pain will no longer affect you. You will know that it is not truly your pain.

“I am life and only trough me can you reach heaven.” Jesus was not talking about himself. He was talking about life. When you come back to life, when you see the truth, when you live in the Now, you will reach heaven. He is not referring to a place but a state of mind, or rather a state of no mind. You detach from your mind. You no longer identify with it. You are not your thoughts. You are the awareness behind them, the one that is aware of the thinking. You are the listener, the observer. “The Devil” is in your mind and when you stop listening to “him”, you escape hell.

Once you experience living in the present moment with no attachment to your mind, you will feel a such joy that cannot be described. It’s as if you are seeing the world for the first time. Buddha called this enlightenment “the end of all suffering” and it is absolutely possible for every single one of us to experience this. You do not have to have any knowledge about anything regarding this topic. It is not about learning, it is about unlearning. You accept this moment and let go of your mind. Just be.

― Dennis Laumark (resetdennis.wordpress.com)

Living in the Moment — Good or Bad?

Unfortunately, planning can adversely affect everything that we are currently doing. Thinking about what’s in store in the future can take over how we express ourselves by causing us to act in a manner that doesn’t reflect our current mood and situation. In doing so, the people around us can be hurt by our selfishness. For example, stressing over tomorrow’s test can make us unappreciative and curt while having a family dinner. It’s only fair to others that we do our best to refrain from thinking about the future.

But no matter how hard we try, we have far from perfect control over our lives. We can think about the future and imagine how it will materialize, but we can never truly ensure that everything will work out the way we want it to. You always hear that cheesy quote about “living in the moment.” I believe a better, and much more telling quote is one that cartoonist Bill Watterson said: “We’re so busy watching out for what’s just ahead of us that we don’t take time to enjoy where we are.”

However, there are times when I know that living in the moment is just not possible. It’s romantic, good-intentioned, yet idealistic of people to say that the only thing that’s important is the present. It’s simply impractical to never plan or think of the past. Thinking and reflecting about the past allows us to learn from our mistakes. Without dwelling, at least to a certain extent, about our past, we would never develop into intelligent beings. The same idea is true about planning for the future. We wish the future to be promising, and the only way to achieve that in our busy lives is to plan accordingly.

…People who are experiencing immense stress and emotions should be allowed to not live in the moment. They should even be encouraged to plan for the future. The reasoning behind this is simple. To relieve themselves of whatever is pressuring them, people need to plan so that their future selves will be in a better situation. Only then will they have the ability to live in the moment.

― Kai Sherwin (huffingtonpost.com)

Only Living in the Moment – And Why It Can Be Dangerous

At times, it is just as important that we “step outside of the moment,” and interpret our world from a broader viewpoint.

The benefits of reflecting on the past

One benefit we don’t get from only living in the moment is reflecting on our past and learning from our mistakes.…Research indicates that reflection is key to learning.

The benefits of planning for the future

Living a happy, healthy, and successful life often requires adequate planning and foresight. It rarely happens by accident.
Therefore, looking forward into the future is often just as important as reflecting backwards on our past, or living in the moment.

The benefits of mind-wandering

…some research suggests that mind-wandering and daydreaming can actually come with some valuable benefits.
Of course, daydreaming can be counterproductive (especially when it leads to procrastination), but other times letting our minds wander can aid in creativity and problem-solving.
This is because sometimes things distract our attention because we find them new and interesting. And keeping our minds open to different thoughts and sensations can help [to] increase our opportunity to discover new ideas.

“Living in the moment” – a common excuse to be impulsive and reckless?

With such a mindset, you may find yourself drinking lots of alcohol, taking drugs, and engaging in unsafe sex with strangers. And why not? You’re just reacting to your immediate surroundings, you’re not seeing the bigger picture of your actions, so you act in ways that only bring immediate satisfaction.
In this example, “living in the moment” becomes an excuse to find short-term gratification, but ignore long-term consequences. This is a misapplication of living in the present.

When to “live in the moment” – and when not to

The ability to “step outside your immediate senses” – and also reflect on the past, and plan for the future – are often just as important to your happiness and health.
In fact, reflection and foresight are valuable adaptations of the human mind that have greatly helped our evolution over time. They are also what distinguish us from more primitive minds, which can only react to information they receive on a momentary basis, and therefore can’t form memories or project into the future.
…There needs to be a balance between these different modes of awareness in order to have a healthy, functioning mind.

― Steven Handel (theemotionmachine.com)

The Difficulty of Being in the Present

Very many of us suffer from a peculiar-sounding problem: an inability to properly inhabit the stretch of time we call ‘the present’.

Maybe we’re on a beautiful beach on a sunny day, the sky is azure and the palm trees slender and implausibly delicate, but most of ‘us’ isn’t actually here at all, it’s somewhere at work or in imaginary discussion with a rival or plotting a new enterprise.…

What is it that makes the present, especially the nicer moments of the present, so difficult to experience properly? And why, conversely, can so many events feel easier to enjoy, appreciate and perceive, when they are firmly over?

― The Book of Life (thebookoflife.org)

Always A Moment

There is no point,
at which to turn,
though, to be fair,
there’s always a moment to savour,
like that last morsel of a sumptuous meal,
dripping with exquisite jus,
it is collected to the body memory,
and which shall be revisited,
ever seeking,
longing to repeat such divinity.
But life itself is a constant turning,
like the constellations,
seemingly fixed,
yet ever moving,
so too the apparent points of our lives,
and yet we cage life,
that we might take command of it,
failing at every turn,
as the universe smiles,
at our innocence,
ever mischievously flinging detritus in our paths.

― Paul Vincent Cannon (pvcann.com)

Moments Without Thought

A moment without thought
And the background noise ceases
And I can suddenly hear
The silence between sounds
The silence beneath sound
From which all sounds emerge
Like waves from the sea.

A moment without thought
And the fog disperses
And the world is filled with translucent light
New dimensions of detail
And sharpness and colour and depth.

A moment without thought
And these suburban streets
Are a pristine new world
Like a garden glistening with dew
The morning after creation
As if a husk of familiarity
Has cracked and fallen away
Leaving naked primal isness.

A moment without thought
And I’m no longer standing separate
No longer an island but part of the sea
No longer a static centre
But part of the flowing stream.

A moment without thought
And the train has stopped between stations
And there was never any motion, never any track
A moment like a wormhole
Infinitely expanding
Like stepping through a narrow gate
To find an endless open plain
The panorama of the present.

And this new world of no-thought
Is neither alien nor unfamiliar
But a place where benevolence blows through the air
And soft shimmering energy fills every space
And the sunlight is the translucent white light of spirit
The deepest, closest, warmest place
The ground where I am rooted.

― Steve Taylor (stevenmtaylor.com)

Guide to the Now

You are here to enable the divine purpose of the universe to unfold. That is how important you are!

In you, as in each human being, there is a dimension of consciousness far deeper than thought. It is the very essence of who you are. We may call it presence, awareness, the unconditioned consciousness.

Focus attention on the feeling inside you. Know that it is the pain-body. Accept that it is there. Don’t think about it – don’t let the feeling turn into thinking. Don’t judge or analyze. Don’t make an identity for yourself out of it. Stay present, and continue to be the observer of what is happening inside you. Become aware not only of the emotional pain but also of “the one who observes,” the silent watcher. This is the power of the Now, the power of your own conscious presence.

Through self-observation, more presence comes into your life automatically. The moment you realize you are not present, you are present. Whenever you are able to observe your mind, you are no longer trapped in it. Another factor has come in, something that is not of the mind: the witnessing presence.

Presence is the key to freedom, so you can only be free now.

The following constitutes a series of quotations from Eckhart Tolle regarding living in the moment, being in the present, and focusing on the here and now:

The power for creating a better future is contained in the present moment: You create a good future by creating a good present.

Your entire life only happens in this moment. The present moment is life itself. Yet, people live as if the opposite were true and treat the present moment as a stepping stone to the next moment — a means to an end.

Don’t wait to be successful at some future point. Have a successful relationship with the present moment and be fully present in whatever you are doing. That is success.

Realize deeply that the present moment is all you ever have. Make the Now the primary focus of your life.

It is through gratitude for the present moment that the spiritual dimension of life opens up.

You can always cope with the present moment, but you cannot cope with something that is only a mind projection — you cannot cope with the future.

The answer is, who you are cannot be defined through thinking or mental labels or definitions, because it’s beyond that. It is the very sense of being, or presence, that is there when you become conscious of the present moment. In essence, you and what we call the present moment are, at the deepest level, one.

Most people treat the present moment as if it were an obstacle that they need to overcome. Since the present moment is life itself, it is an insane way to live.

When you take your attention into the present moment, a certain alertness arises. You become more conscious of what’s around you, but also, strangely, a sense of presence that is both within and without.

― Eckhart Tolle (eckharttolle.com)

Oprah Talks to Eckhart Tolle

The following is a series of quotations extracted from the long conversation between Oprah and Eckhart Tolle:

…trading our autopilot existence for intentional awareness; recognizing how we create our own suffering through obsessing over our past history; and learning how to be present, for ourselves and for the people around us, in a compassionate, nonjudgmental way.

…In my case, and in many people’s cases, the voice in the head is a predominantly unhappy one, so there’s an enormous amount of negativity that is continuously generated by this unconscious internal dialogue.…

…I was talking to a Buddhist monk who said that Zen is very simple: You don’t rely on thought anymore; you go beyond thinking. Then I realized that was what happened to me. All that unhappy, repetitive thinking wasn’t there anymore.

The sense of self that is derived from our thinking—which includes all one’s memories, one’s conditioning, and one’s sense of self—is a conceptual one that is derived from the past. It’s essential for people to recognize that this voice is going on inside them incessantly, and it’s always a breakthrough when people realize, “Here are all my habitual, repetitive, negative thoughts, and here I am, knowing that these thoughts are going through my head.”

I see it as not believing in this or that, but as stepping out of identification with a stream of thinking. You suddenly find there’s another dimension deeper than thought inside you.

I call it stillness. It’s an aware presence, nothing to do with past or future. We can also call it “waking up.” That’s why many spiritual traditions use the term awakening. You wake up out of this dream of thinking. You become present.

…who you are cannot be defined through thinking or mental labels or definitions, because it’s beyond that. It is the very sense of being, or presence, that is there when you become conscious of the present moment. In essence, you and what we call the present moment are, at the deepest level, one. You are the consciousness out of which everything comes; every thought comes out of that consciousness, and every thought disappears back into it. You are a conscious, aware space, and all your sense perceptions, thinking, and emotions come and go in that aware space.

…When you step out of identification with that and realize for the first time that you’re actually the presence behind thinking, then you’re able to use thought when it’s helpful and necessary. But you are no longer possessed by the thinking mind, which then becomes a helpful, useful servant.…

…I recommend that people bring a conscious presence to the everyday activities that they do unconsciously. When you wash your hands, when you make a cup of coffee, when you’re waiting for the elevator—instead of indulging in thinking, these are all opportunities for being there as a still, alert presence.

That’s a continuous refocusing on what really matters—what matters most in anybody’s life, which is the present moment. People don’t realize that now is all there ever is; there is no past or future except as memory or anticipation in your mind.

Start by entering the present moment so that you find that space in which problems cannot survive. In that moment, you contact a deeper intelligence than the conditioned thinking mind. That is the place where intuition, creative action, knowledge, and wisdom come from.…

See how you relate to this moment. When you do that, what you’re really asking is, What is my relationship with life? The present moment is your life. It’s nowhere else—never, ever. So, no matter what the situation is when you align yourself with the present moment, find something to be grateful for. Gratitude is an essential part of being present. When you go deeply into the present, gratitude arises spontaneously, even if it’s just gratitude for breathing, gratitude for the aliveness that you feel in your body. Gratitude is there when you acknowledge the aliveness of the present moment; that’s the foundation for successful living. Once you’ve made the present moment into your friend through openness and acceptance, your actions will be inspired, intelligent, and empowered, because the power of life itself will be flowing through you.

…In fact, you are more passionately alive when you’re internally aligned with the present moment. You let go of this inner resistance, which on an emotional level is negativity and on a mental level is judgment and complaining. People have an enormous amount of complaining going on in their minds.…

…by planning for the future, you won’t need to lose yourself in the future. The question is, are you using time on a practical level, or are you losing yourself in the future? If you think that when you take a vacation, or find the ideal partner, or get a better job or a nicer place to live or whatever it is, that then you will finally be happy, that’s when you lose yourself in the future. It’s a continuous mental projection away from the now. That’s the difference between clock time, which has its place in this world, and psychological time, which is the continuous obsession with the past and the future. There needs to be a balance between dealing with things in this world, which involves time and thinking, and not being trapped here. There is a deeper dimension in you that is outside that stream of time and thinking, and that’s the inner stillness, peace, a deep, vibrant sense of aliveness.…

…By living through mental definitions of who you are, you desensitize yourself to the deeper aliveness of who you truly are beyond your thoughts. What arises then is a conceptual identity: I’m this or that. Once you’re trapped in your own conceptual identity, which is based on thinking and image-making by the mind, then you do the same to others. This is the beginning of pronouncing judgments on another person, and then you believe that judgment to be the truth. It’s the beginning of desensitizing yourself to who that human being truly is.

…The ego has been here for thousands of years, and that means it has its place in the evolution of humanity. But our ability to think more and more, so that gradually we became so identified with thinking, was how we lost a deeper connectedness with life—with paradise. I believe we are now at an evolutionary transition where far more human beings than ever before are able to go beyond ego into a new state of consciousness.

This is the point where the evolution of consciousness, the awakening of humanity, is no longer a luxury. The effects of the dysfunctional ego are now being amplified by technology. What we are doing to ourselves, to our fellow human beings, and to the planet is becoming more and more destructive and devastating.

The ego cannot survive in stillness, so invite stillness into your life. That doesn’t mean that stillness is something you get from outside; it’s realizing that underneath the stream of thinking, everybody already has the stillness.

…Look very deeply into yourself and see your sense of “I-ness”—your sense of self. This “I” is bound up with the stillness. You’re never more essentially yourself than when you are still. You can invite stillness into your life by taking a few conscious breaths many times during the day. Just observe your breath flowing in and out. Another way is to feel the aliveness of your body from within. Ask, is there life in my hands? And then you feel it. It’s subtle, but it’s there. Is there life in my feet, my legs, my arms? You can feel that your entire inner body is pervaded by a sense of aliveness, and that can serve as an anchor for stillness. It doesn’t mean you turn completely away from the external world. It brings balance into your life between being still and being able to deal with things out here.

When you watch a tree, just be there as the aware presence perceives the tree. Nature is very helpful for people who want to connect with the stillness. Man-made things generate more thinking because they are made through thinking. Go to nature. Eventually you can sustain the state of stillness even in the midst of a city.…

…spirituality has nothing to do with what you believe but everything to do with your state of consciousness.

It’s the stillness that’s the spiritual dimension.

― Oprah and Eckhart Tolle (eckharttolle.com)

Living in the Present Moment

Eckhart Tolle’s teachings are life changing. Once you truly grasp that everything is NOW, and you live fully, consciously in this very moment, life suddenly becomes easier, better and more fulfilling. You no longer need to stress about the future, or live in the past, you just do you[r] best, and live fully, right now in this moment.

― TeamSoul (iamfearlesssoul.com)

The Present Moment; Being Completely Here and Now

“Yesterday doesn’t exist, tomorrow never comes. There is only today.”

“Carpe diem quam minimum credula postero.”
Seize the day, trusting as little as possible in the future.

Our first foray into the philosophy of Alan Watts. The Present Moment is the one which eludes us the most often. It is the juxtaposition of the fleeting and the lasting.
What we really want is that you take away this message from the video that-
Instead of perceiving your past as having an overbearing shadow on your present, it is much more favorable to observe that your past will be ultimately defined by your present actions in the long run.

― Alan Watts (alanwatts.com)

Mindfulness Places Us Where Our Choice is Possible

While our activities have consequences in both the external and internal world, happiness and freedom belong to the inner world of our intentions and dispositions. […] Mindfulness places us where our choice is possible. The greater our awareness of our intentions, the greater our freedom to choose. People who do not see their choices do not believe [that] they have choices. They tend to respond automatically, blindly influenced by their circumstances and conditioning. Mindfulness, by helping us [to] notice our impulses before we act, gives us the opportunity to decide whether to act and how to act.

— Gil Fronsdal

🔄📈📉 Change Rules and Moment Matters: How to Stay in the Moment 🔖🕰️🔂 (soundeagle.wordpress.com)
🦅 SoundEagle in Best Moment Award from Moment Matters 🔖🏆 (soundeagle.wordpress.com)
Best Moment Award 🔖🏆 (soundeagle.wordpress.com)
🎧 Facing the Noise & Music: Playgrounds for Biophobic Citizens 🏗🌁🗼🏭 (soundeagle.wordpress.com)
🦅 SoundEagle in Art, Aphorism and Paramusic 🏝 (soundeagle.wordpress.com)
🦅 SoundEagle Appreciation Award 🎖 (soundeagle.wordpress.com)
Awards 🥇 (soundeagle.wordpress.com)
🦉 Daily Wisdom: Word, Quote, Article, History, Birthday and News 📰 (soundeagle.wordpress.com)
Philosophy, Science and Mindfulness: Exploring the Links between Eastern and Western Traditions (academia.edu)
Awareness: Live life mindfully (actionforhappiness.org)
76 Most Powerful Mindfulness Quotes: Your Daily Dose of Inspiration (positivepsychology.com)
44 Powerful Mindfulness Quotes to Energize Your Life (zenfulspirit.com)
What is Your Superpower? Multitasking or Mindfulness? (authorjoannereed.net)
You’re Going to Die, and, Yes, You’re Still Special (existentialcafe.blog)
Mindful of the Moment (timaoconnor.com)
How I think about Mindfulness… (jeremyjameshongkong.wordpress.com)
Why People Justify Social Systems That Disadvantage Them (mathias-sager.com)
A Short Critique of Identity (misanthropicanthropologist.wordpress.com)
I Was Wrong — The ‘Greatest in the World Fallacy’ and How I Made It (medium.com)
A Meditation on Life: Delayed Gratification (frankjpeter.com)
Transitoriness (bluejayblog.wordpress.com)
A Wandering Mind Is an Unhappy Mind (danielgilbert.com) Matthew A. Killingsworth and Daniel T. Gilbert (2010). A Wandering Mind Is an Unhappy Mind. Science Vol. 330, Issue 6006, pp. 932. doi: 10.1126/science.1192439 Note: the pdf version contains an additional seven pages of Supporting Online Material containing Materials and Methods, Table S1 and References, which are not available from the online version.
Daydreaming Is a Downer (sciencemag.org)
Wandering mind not a happy mind (news.harvard.edu)
6 Ways Facebook is a Life Leeching Succubus (pensapiens.com)
Arrow Dynamics of time (noghostnomachine.wordpress.com)
Causation: what is it? (noghostnomachine.wordpress.com)
What animals can teach us about mindfulness. (luckyottershaven.com)
Present (en.wikipedia.org)
Past (en.wikipedia.org)
Future (en.wikipedia.org)
Philosophy of space and time (en.wikipedia.org)
Process philosophy (en.wikipedia.org)
Stoicism (en.wikipedia.org)
Marcus Aurelius (en.wikipedia.org)
Meditations (en.wikipedia.org)
7 Lessons On Life and Happiness From a Stoic (Marcus Aurelius) (daringtolivefully.com)
10 Tips to Start Living in the Present (becomingminimalist.com)
The Art of Now: Six Steps to Living in the Moment (psychologytoday.com)
Mindfulness Tips: How to Live in the Moment (rd.com)
How to Live in the Moment (wikihow.com)
How to Live in the Present (paidtoexist.com)
How to be Present: The 5 Steps for Living in the Here-and-Now (wanderlustworker.com)
Learning To Live In The Moment Will Change Your Life (thoughtcatalog.com)
Learn How to Savor The Moment (verywell.com)
Why “Living in the Moment” Is Bad Advice (greatist.com)
Religion and Truth (resetdennis.wordpress.com)
Living In The Moment — Good Or Bad? (huffingtonpost.com)
Only Living In The Moment – And Why It Can Be Dangerous (theemotionmachine.com)
The Difficulty of Being in the Present (thebookoflife.org)
Moments Without Thought (stevenmtaylor.com)
Guide to the Now (eckharttolle.com)
Oprah talks to Eckhart Tolle (eckharttolle.com)
Oprah & Eckhart Tolle – Living In The Present Moment – Inspirational Music Video (iamfearlesssoul.com)
6 Ways to Live in the Moment (gaiam.com)
Living in the Now When It’s Stressful: 4 Mindfulness Tips (tinybuddha.com)
15 ways to live in the moment (positivelypresent.com)
How to Escape Being a Victim of Time & Truly Live in the Present Moment (pocketmindfulness.com)
21 Instant Ways to Live in the Moment (lifehack.org)
8 Ways to Return to the Present Moment (positivityblog.com)
20 Quotes about Living in the Present Moment (habitsforwellbeing.com)
Live in The Moment (essentiallifeskills.net)
How to live in the present moment? Advice from 13 experts (lifeinfullbloom.com)
Making Sense Of It All With The Help Of Alan Watts (mindovermetablog.wordpress.com)
What is exactly Mindfulness or Mindful? And how does it work? (thepowerfulliving.wordpress.com)
How to Practice Mindfulness? (thepowerfulliving.wordpress.com)
How To Live In The Now: Eckhart Tolle (davidleser.wordpress.com)
Emerging into the Moment (peoplesdharma.com)
Presence as present (peoplesdharma.com)
Being in the moment: in search of wu wei (wibble.blog)
Life Advice: How do I live in the moment? (quora.com)
How do I practice living in present? (quora.com)
How do I avoid overthinking and live in the present? (quora.com)
How can one get rid of thoughts and live in the present moment? (quora.com)
Which one is more important, your present or your future? Some say one should plan for the future. Some also say one should live in the present and not worry about the future. So which one matters more? (quora.com)
What are your thoughts on “Live in the moment” philosophy? (quora.com)
Why is living in the moment important? (quora.com)
Is ‘living in the moment’ overrated and somewhat quixotic? (quora.com)
How do we know we are living in the present? (quora.com)
What are the benefits of living in the present? (quora.com)
How do I stop living in the past or future and live in present? (quora.com)
How can I stop living in the past, but live in the present? (quora.com)
How can I stay in the present? I don’t want to think about past, not even future just the present. How? (quora.com)
Do we live in past or present? (quora.com)
Should I live for the present or for the future? (quora.com)
Is living in the past, the present or for the future the best way of living life? (quora.com)
Do the past, present and future all exist simultaneously? (quora.com)
Is there really a past, present and future, or is it just a very long present? (quora.com)
With our system of time do we really live in the past, present, or future? (quora.com)
If our future is someone else’s past, does that mean that we are living in the present or the past? (quora.com)
If time is a dimension, is it correct to say that the past, present, and future all exist simultaneously? (quora.com)
Do we really live in the present? (quora.com)
Do we live in past or present? (quora.com)
How can I live my future in the present? (quora.com)
How are you getting better to ‘live in the moment’? (quora.com)
🏡🌷🌹🌻 Potted Plant Society Won Super Sweet Blogging Award 🎐 (soundeagle.wordpress.com)
Who Am I and Why Should It Matter To You? (mpowered79.wordpress.com)
On Being Successful (hughcurtler.com)
Awards (bulgingbuttons.net)
Adaptation ~ Change (micheleelys.com)
Embracing Change (bluejayblog.wordpress.com)
Daily Prompt: Celebrate Good Times (dailypost.wordpress.com)

Tags: #DiscoverWP, #WPLongform, Acceptance Speech, Accidental, Attribution Bias, Becoming, Being, Benjamin Hardy, Best Moment Award, Betul Erbasi, Bob Rich, Causality, Change, Class Structure, Cognitive Bias, Cognitive Dissonance, Collective Empowerment, Communication Framework, Cultural Capital, Cultural Reproduction, Daniel T Gilbert, David Steindl-Rast, Delayed Gratification, Determinism, Dominika and Cedric, Don DeLillo, Eckhart Tolle, Ego, Emotional Cost, Epistemic Injustice, Essence, Evolution of Consciousness, Existence, Facebook, Fallacy, Frank J Peter, Friedrich Nietzsche, Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche, Gary Malkin, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, Gil Fronsdal, Happiness, Henry David Thoreau, Heraclitus, Hermeneutical Injustice, Hero’s Journey, Horatio Alger Myth, If I can do it then anybody can., Impermanence, Intentional Awareness, Issac Therealizedman, Jay Dixit, Jesse Hawley, Joseph John Campbell, Joshua Becker, Kai Sherwin, Kelly-Grace Struble, Lauren Bennett, Lauren Schenkman, Leo Babauta, Living in the Moment, Longreads, Louie Schwartzberg, Marcus Aurelius, Matthew Killingsworth, Meditation on Life, Metaphysical Reality, Mindful Awareness, Mindfulness, Moment Matters, Monomyth, Motivated Reasoning, Oprah Winfrey, Paul Vincent Cannon, Philosophy of Space and Time, Poem, Presentism, Process Philosophy, Quotation, Quote, Rags to Riches, Reality, Robert L Adams, Social Constructionism, Social Constructivism, Social Stratification, Social Upbringing, SoundEagle Appreciation Award, Spacetime, Steven Handel, Stoic Philosophy, Stoicism, Survival Bias, Survivorship Bias, Symbolic Interactionism, TeamSoul, Testimonial Injustice, The Book of Life, Track Your Happiness, Unhappy Mind, Visnu Pitiyanuvath, Wandering Mind, wikiHow Permalink

← 🦅 SoundEagle in SoundCloud: Art, Music and Compositions about New Sensations, Love, Life, Country, Nature, Dreaming, Meditation and Spirituality 🏞🎼🎶

🦅 SoundEagle in Missing Link, Jigsaw Puzzle, Catalyst, Solution, Fitting and Working Together 🔗⛓ →

101 comments on “🦅 SoundEagle in Best Moment Award from Moment Matters 🔖🏆”

Victor Hov 1 April 2013 at 7:43 PM Reply

Thanks for dropping by my blog. All the best to you.

LikeLiked by 4 people
- SoundEagle 1 April 2013 at 8:01 PM Reply
  
  Hi Victor,
  
  Thank you for your good wish. After reading the “about” page, it is amply clear that you have been to many places and have accomplished much. Since you like neurosurgery, perhaps you would be interested in reading the post at https://soundeagle.wordpress.com/2013/03/02/facing-the-noise-music-playgrounds-for-biophobic-citizens/. Please also feel free to listen to and comment on SoundEagle‘s musical compositions:
  Click SoundEagle’s Original Music to play music composed by SoundEagle.
  
  Click SoundEagle’s Original Music Poll to vote for music composed by SoundEagle.
  
  Click Music (in post format) or Music (in page format) to learn more about SoundEagle’s art, music and philosophical ethos.
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person
eof737 6 April 2013 at 9:20 PM Reply

My goodness, you are pretty busy. I love the music too. 🙂
Eliz

LikeLiked by 1 person
- SoundEagle 6 April 2013 at 9:25 PM Reply
  
  If you wish to learn more about SoundEagle‘s art, music and philosophical ethos, all of the following posts and pages extensively feature the philosophy and aesthetics of soundEagle’s music:
  
  Music
  
  https://soundeagle.wordpress.com/music/soundeagle-in-soundcloud/ {This one has detailed discussions between SoundEagle and followers in comments.}
  
  🦅 SoundEagle in Art, Music and Compositions about New Sensations, Love, Life, Country, Nature, Dreaming, Meditation and Spirituality 🏞🎼🎶
  
  🦅 SoundEagle in SoundCloud: Art, Music and Compositions about New Sensations, Love, Life, Country, Nature, Dreaming, Meditation and Spirituality 🏞🎼🎶
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person
  - eof737 6 April 2013 at 9:27 PM
    
    I noticed that as I scroll through and read your posts… very rich and creative. TY! 🙂
    
    LikeLiked by 2 people
  - SoundEagle 6 April 2013 at 9:37 PM
    
    On the “Home” page, if you come across a link that begins as “But wait, there’s more about SoundEagle in….” at the end of any post, then it is a signal that the post is abridged and that the entire post is available by clicking that link.
    
    LikeLiked by 1 person
  - eof737 6 April 2013 at 9:38 PM
    
    Okay… good to know TY! 🙂
    
    LikeLiked by 2 people
  - SoundEagle 6 April 2013 at 9:44 PM
    
    Long posts have to be abridged so that the “Home” page will not take too long to load, given that this is a multidisciplinary blog already laden with multimedia and muititudinousness.
    
    LikeLiked by 1 person
  - eof737 6 April 2013 at 9:55 PM
    
    Yes, you do have a lot here so it makes sense.
    
    LikeLiked by 2 people
- SoundEagle 26 January 2018 at 10:03 PM Reply
  
  Hi, Ms Elizabeth Obih-Frank! SoundEagle would like to inform you that since your previous visit nearly five years ago, this special post has been significantly improved and expanded with a multitude of new contents, spiritual reflections, philosophical perspectives and scientific findings. It is now much longer in length, featuring more than two dozen sections, plus a navigational ☼ೋღ🏅 MENU 🏅ღೋ☼ containing internal links, which you can use to jump to different sections within the post. Please enjoy to your heart’s content!
  
  By the way, SoundEagle would like to wish you a wonderful festive season and a happy new year with a very special post entitled “🎊 Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and Joyful Holiday 🎄🎅⛄”.
  
  ❅ ❆ ❄ ❄❆❅^❆❅❆^❅❅❆❄ ❄ ❆ ❅
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person
melanie jean juneau 1 July 2013 at 12:21 PM Reply

unique insights, yet true

LikeLiked by 2 people
- SoundEagle 1 July 2013 at 12:34 PM Reply
  
  Only four words here? Much more please, from the one and only Queen Melanie Jean Juneau, a Quintessential Baby Whisperer and Mother of Nine as well as Blogger of Conscience, who has also bestowed on SoundEagle the same award at http://themotherofnine9.wordpress.com/2013/06/30/best-moment-award/.
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person
B. M. Wells 2 July 2013 at 7:06 AM Reply

thank you for the kind words SE. this reminds me of a history class debate: is it the man or the environment that makes great men/women. Obviously a bit of both. it’s the environment that shapes them and either provides or fails to provide them with certain resources for their disposal. but its still the person who must respond to it all, right?

I wonder, if churchill or lincoln were born in 1980, what would they be doing right now?

LikeLiked by 2 people
- SoundEagle 3 July 2013 at 10:52 AM Reply
  
  Hi Ben, thank you for your feedback. SoundEagle agrees with you totally that both nature and nurture are responsible in the making of a human being, as has been demonstrated by numerous studies of twins. As for your observation “still the person who must respond to it all”, the issue or problem is that the person in an enriched environment is not quite the same as the person in an impoverished environment, even if they are identical twins seperated at birth. Therefore, they will “respond to it all” quite differently (though they will (still) respond to certain things or events similarly).
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person
Daily Prompt: Celebrate Good Times | Chronicles of an Anglo Swiss 26 September 2013 at 12:28 AM Reply

[…] SoundEagle in Best Moment Award from Moment Matters | SoundEagle […]

LikeLike
You have won the Booker Prize! | alienorajt 26 September 2013 at 1:06 AM Reply

[…] SoundEagle in Best Moment Award from Moment Matters | SoundEagle […]

LikeLiked by 1 person
Pepperoni Pizza Bites And Eggs In Purgatory | Anchors Aweigh 26 September 2013 at 1:31 AM Reply

[…] SoundEagle in Best Moment Award from Moment Matters | SoundEagle […]

LikeLike
Daily Prompt: Celebrate Good Times | My Atheist Blog 26 September 2013 at 3:24 AM Reply

[…] SoundEagle in Best Moment Award from Moment Matters | SoundEagle […]

LikeLike
A Simple Celebration | Sogna Grandezza 26 September 2013 at 5:06 AM Reply

[…] SoundEagle in Best Moment Award from Moment Matters | SoundEagle […]

LikeLike
Nikita Biswal 26 September 2013 at 11:29 PM Reply

Thanks for dropping by my blog and such considerate reading! Your blog really great! All the very best!

LikeLiked by 2 people
- SoundEagle 27 September 2013 at 8:45 AM Reply
  
  You are welcome, Nikita. Thank you for the compliment and good wish. Since you have recently mentioned in your post entitled Eagle Course that you will “definitely review and read [my] writing”, SoundEagle really looks forward to reading your comments and thoughts.
  
  Thank you in anticipation.
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person
- SoundEagle 16 January 2018 at 12:48 PM Reply
  
  Happy 2018 to you, Nikita! SoundEagle would like to inform you that since your previous visit about four years and three month ago, this post has been significantly improved and expanded with a multitude of new contents, spiritual reflections, philosophical perspectives and scientific findings. It is now much longer in length, featuring about two dozen sections, plus a navigational ☼ೋღ🏅 MENU 🏅ღೋ☼ containing internal links, which you can use to jump to different sections of the post. Please enjoy!
  
  Given the time of the year, SoundEagle would like to send the best regards and fine blessings with a special post of 🎊 Season Greetings 🎄🎅⛄ to you and your family. 🙂
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person
Little Grey Says 21 February 2017 at 1:48 AM Reply

Very elegant and eloquent in demonstrating a firm grasp on the philosophy surrounding success in a modern World. We may not all be born equal, nor with equal opportunities, yet we all have the ability to be a better version of ourselves with each passing day – whether that’s in the way we think, or in our inherent or learned abilities and accomplishments. Got my mind working, thank you

LikeLiked by 2 people
- SoundEagle 24 February 2017 at 11:22 AM Reply
  
  Hello Jamie! Finally, there is time available to concentrate for the moment and reply to you in the moment to make the moment really matters. ⏳⌛️
  
  It is delightful to know that the contents of this post here have been sufficiently potent to resonate with you, and that you have satisfactorily observed many similarities between our thoughts, reflections and philosophies, and in our discernments over certain myths and fallacies.
  
  Seeing that you like highly thought-provoking writings, here is another one to get your mind working. This is a special page rendered with care and stylishly published at https://soundeagle.wordpress.com/quotes/, where, apart from the opening essay and a series of fascinating quotes, you will also find the various threads of discussion resulting from many comments left there by a number of readers to be quite stimulating, if not provocative or contentious.
  
  LikeLiked by 2 people
  - Little Grey Says 24 February 2017 at 6:19 PM
    
    Thank you – that’s very thoughtful of you 🙂
    
    LikeLiked by 2 people
  - SoundEagle 14 January 2018 at 10:29 PM
    
    Happy New Year to you, Jamie! Nearly 11 months have passed since we last communicated here. A lot has happened to this website since. Please be informed that this special post has been so significantly improved and expanded with a multitude of new contents, spiritual reflections, philosophical perspectives and scientific findings that it now features about two dozen sections, plus a navigational ☼ೋღ🏅 MENU 🏅ღೋ☼ containing internal links, which the reader can use to jump to different sections of the post.
    
    May you find the revamped post even more helpful, edificatory and palpably profound!
    
    LikeLiked by 2 people
  - Little Grey Says 14 January 2018 at 11:37 PM
    
    Thank you! Happy NewYear to you!
    
    LikeLiked by 2 people
hughcurtler 14 December 2017 at 10:04 PM Reply

Very well said:
“…many things and conditions have to fall into place for someone to achieve success.” Moreover, it is not clear that for many the playing field will ever be level! Good reflections.

LikeLiked by 2 people
- SoundEagle 25 December 2017 at 9:18 PM Reply
  
  Merry Christmas and happy new year to you, Hugh! In addition, SoundEagle is pleased to inform you that this post has been extended today with even more “good reflections”, as you put it.
  
  Looking forward to your feedback on the new paragraphs!
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person
- SoundEagle 16 January 2018 at 12:25 PM Reply
  
  Hello Hugh and happy 2018! SoundEagle would like to inform you that since your previous visit just over a month ago, this post has been significantly improved and expanded with a multitude of new contents, spiritual reflections, philosophical perspectives and scientific findings. It is now much longer in length, featuring about two dozen sections, plus a navigational ☼ೋღ🏅 MENU 🏅ღೋ☼ containing internal links, which you can use to jump to different sections of the post. Please enjoy!
  
  Given the time of the year, here is a very special post with 🎊 Season Greetings from SoundEagle: Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and Joyful Holiday 🎄🎅⛄ to you and your family!
  
  LikeLiked by 2 people
RhapsodyBoheme 13 January 2018 at 3:16 PM Reply

You put a lot of time and effort into your research and it is well rounded from what I read. I believe we all have to find our own way on how we create our moments. It differs from person to person as we enjoy various things and are in various steps when it comes to spiritual awakening. Everything is timing and our life experiences, but one of the most important things we can do is to live in the Now as Eckhart Tolle so beautifully describes in the power of now and learn to appreciate the current moment. The past is past and might have been a great teacher, but we will never be able to change the best. The future hasn’t happened and we have little control over what is in the cards for us, so it is the now we truly ever have. We are in charge of our moments through what we value and our perception. It is not dependent on another and we are the captain of our ship, creating our moments and our destiny. Thanks you for summing it up so beautifully in your post.

LikeLiked by 2 people
- SoundEagle 13 January 2018 at 7:09 PM Reply
  Thank you very much for providing your generous feedback and sharing your insight, RhapsodyBoheme! Your comments are always welcome and appreciated. It is clear from your comments here and elsewhere that your wisdom and good spirit imbue your words with resonance and compassion as well as heartfelt empathy. In spite of our differences, it seems that we both have quite a lot in common.
  
  SoundEagle is delighted to inform you that the perspectives of Steve Taylor, Eckhart Tolle and the School of Life have also been added to this post:
  
  The Difficulty of Being in the Present
  
  Moments Without Thought
  
  Guide to the Now
  
  Oprah talks to Eckhart Tolle
  
  Living In The Present Moment
  
  Please enjoy reading the new portions of the post and watching the accompanying videos. May you have a very lovely weekend!
  LikeLiked by 2 people
  - RhapsodyBoheme 14 January 2018 at 4:44 PM
    
    Thank you very much and you as well. Enjoy your weekend.
    
    LikeLiked by 2 people
Craig Eisemann 15 January 2018 at 8:08 PM Reply

A great introduction to to this subject of psychological (and dare I say it, spiritual) investigation, which has important implications for mental well-being. Also a significant exploration of the importance of circumstance, in all its forms, in shaping life and life’s achievements.

LikeLiked by 1 person
mariewilliams53 18 January 2018 at 9:48 PM Reply

There’s a LOT here SE! I’m not going to pretend that I have read it all, but what I have read so far is interesting and food for thought. I’m not sure exactly what I feel about living in the now as I find this whole concept considerably irritating. It’s a nonsense to say that there is only now, when quite clearly this is not true. The past and the future are very much part of our existence here. The past in a lot of cases impacts the present and to a large extent, the future. What I would prefer to hear is a compassionate and understanding plea for those who are suffering for the actions of those others on them in the past and a willingness to hear their pain/joy/misery/elation and to deal with these issues in a way that allows them to truly enjoy and live in the present. When you are falling over/unable to leave your home/fearful/have social anxiety/distressed etc, living in the present, in the now means very little to you.

On the other hand though, I do agree that one should not dwell on the past or fixate on the future, because it can be both distressing and a hindrance. But I would say and advocate that there should be more help for those who find living in the present difficult/impossible because of things that have happened in the past to them. Once these issues have been addressed then and only then should living for the now become their aim.

Thanks for allowing me to share my views here, SE, and also congratulations on your award.

LikeLiked by 2 people
- SoundEagle 20 January 2018 at 12:36 AM Reply
  
  🌕 Dear Marie the Moon,
  Thank you for flying over and shining your endearing moonlight on this special post entitled 🦅 SoundEagle in Best Moment Award from Moment Matters 🔖🏆 to uncover why and how it is worth your while🔖 and moment🕰 to stay and play with SoundEagle🦅.
  
  It could be possible that skipping certain parts and abstaining from reading the whole post (which is understandably a tall order considering the length and scope of the post) may have caused some or all of your concerns, as divulged in the first half of the first paragraph of your previous comment. In any case, time (and space as well as causation) can be slippery and complex concepts to grasp, especially in science, cosmology, process philosophy and analytical philosophy. SoundEagle🦅 has since expanded the Conclusion to include the philosophy of space and time, which covers presentism. This is followed by further reflections on the human condition in relation to the spatio-temporal perception of the past, present and future, as well as the existential imports of such perception with respect to living or being (in the present or otherwise).
  
  The later parts of the discursive section entitled “If I can do it then anybody can.” constitute a protracted but compact discussion in the parlance of social sciences about various social dynamics, inequalities and discriminations as well as the treatments and predicaments of the underprivileged. That discussion corresponds significantly to the matter regarding more supports for, and engagements with, victims suffering from debilitating (mental or physical) traumas, as pointed out in the second half of the first paragraph and also in the second paragraph of your previous comment, all of which are highly appreciated by SoundEagle🦅. 🙂
  
  May you have a wonderful weekend experiencing some very special moments!
  🎊🎄⛄ ❄❅❆❅ ❆
  Season Greetings from
  ჱܓSoundEagle
  
  LikeLiked by 2 people
  - mariewilliams53 20 January 2018 at 3:22 AM
    
    Thank you dear SoundEagle for such a considered reply which I shall peruse at leisure. I am sure it will be enlightening once I’ve read it in more detail.
    Have a great weekend and thanks again.:)
    
    LikeLiked by 2 people
  - SoundEagle 22 January 2018 at 2:35 PM
    
    ☼ೋღ🏅🏆‍🏅ღೋ☼
    
    SoundEagle🦅’s moment🕰 &
    Marie🌕’s while🔖
    
    Dear Marie the Moon, 🌕
    
    Swirls of Gypsy Delight
    Usurp my Gothic Knight
    Reign not SoundEagle’s Flight
    For I seek thy Crested Might
    
    May Marie the Moon 🌕 shine just as luminously and charmingly when she glides elegantly across geolocations and time zones to meet and greet SoundEagle🦅 at the sonically inspiring, aesthetically immersive, spiritually heightened and contemplative realm, which is realised or experienced as a milieu or paradigm, as described in the distinctive post entitled 🦅 SoundEagle in Art, Aphorism and Paramusic 🏝!
    
    SoundEagle🦅 hopes that Marie the Moon 🌕 has thoroughly enjoyed her while🔖 shining upon SoundEagle🦅 in Best Moment Award from Moment Matters🕰, which requires refreshing or reloading as the post has again been expanded with new sections and further consolidated by the recently enhanced Conclusion.
    
    LikeLiked by 2 people
  - mariewilliams53 22 January 2018 at 11:26 PM
    
    Thank you for dedicating such a lovely verse to me but I think you mean ‘rein’ and not reign in this instance SoundEagle …:) Here’s mine to you, dear one: (only without the bells and whistles):)))
    
    Marie the Moon shineth bright
    Upon this cold dark winter’s night
    And findeth solace and true love
    In SoundEagle’s arms above
    Wherein he reigns eternally
    And not in rein without the ‘G’
    
    I’ll go and take a peek later. I’m sure I’ll be expanded in ways I never knew … Mx
    
    LikeLiked by 2 people
  - SoundEagle 23 January 2018 at 8:33 AM
    Dear Marie the Moon, 🌕
    
    SoundEagle🦅 is delighted by your heartening reply and pleasantly surprised by your unexpected gift of a reciprocal poem, even when it is delivered without the bells and whistles.
    
    Technically speaking, “Rein” rather than “Reign” is more appropriate, as explained in a blog post of the Oxford Dictionaries entitled “Rein or reign?”, not to mention that “Reign” is intransitive as a verb. Nevertheless, the blog post also states: “There’s obviously a strong tendency in our minds to wish to associate the phrase free rein with allowing a person the freedom of power that some rulers formerly wielded when reigning over their oppressed subjects: I can see the somewhat tenuous logic in this.”
    
    Aside from that, SoundEagle🦅 has chosen to use “Reign” instead of “Rein” in the poem for the following reasons:
    
    To deploy or exploit the close connections and ambiguities between the words “Reign” and “Rein” in their spellings, connotations and denotations with respect to the subject matters and stylistic delivery of the poem.
    
    To convey the poem more on linguistic imports and figurative potentials rather than literal meanings.
    
    Unlike the Horse🐎 (of the Gothic Knight), SoundEagle🦅 is never (meant, fit or compelled) to be reined in or ridden on, with or without a rein.
    
    SoundEagle🦅 prefers the word “Reign” as it feels more “Regal”. Without the letter g, “Regal” loses its magic and becomes “Real” just as “Reign” turns into a rather drab “Rein”, which is meant for the Horse🐎, not for a noble being or entity like SoundEagle🦅 or the Unicorn🦄.
    
    “Reign” is more interesting than “Rein” since the former’s letter g is the only alphabet protruding downwards, much like the letter p in the word “Usurp” from the preceding line of the poem. In other words, “Reign” and “Usurp” have higher compatibility with respect to calligraphy.
    
    Another compatibility (as well as symmetry) is also at play to the extent that SoundEagle🦅 would like to start each of the two inner lines of the stanza with a verb comprising five letters. “Reign” and “Usurp” both have five. “Rein” has only four.
    
    Whether or not you prefer the “Reign” of SoundEagle🦅 to the “Rein” of the Horse🐎, Marie the Moon is very welcome to take a detour and to emanate your alluring moonglow on both SoundEagle🦅 and the Horse🐎 at this festive post entitled 🏮 Chinese New Year Celebration, Spring Festival, Flying Eagle, Galloping Horses and Annual Surplus 鷹飛馬騰, 年年有餘 🐎, since the Chinese Spring Festival is arriving soon in mid-February.
    
    LikeLike
🦅 SoundEagle in Art and Poetry 📜 | 🦅 SoundEagle 24 January 2018 at 7:45 AM Reply

[…] Moment Matters 🔖🏆 […]

LikeLike
mariewilliams53 24 January 2018 at 7:54 AM Reply

“Swirls of Gypsy Delight
Usurp my Gothic Knight
Reign not SoundEagle’s Flight
For I seek thy Crested Might” – it doesn’t make sense what you are saying SE. You seem to be asking yourself not to ‘reign’ because you seek ‘crested might’. That makes sense because you don’t want your flight to govern. You can’t then use the word rein and say you meant reign because you wanted to include the ‘g’ because it looked aesthetically pleasing to do so. Either you don’t want your flight to reign or you want it to rein. It’s either one or the other – not the part of it that you like best. I am not a moron so please don’t treat me as one. You made a mistake – admit it! lol But I still am quite fond of you, so don’t take this to heart or should I say ‘hart’ because aesthetically it might be more pleasing to the eye?

LikeLiked by 2 people
- SoundEagle 24 January 2018 at 8:31 AM Reply
  
  Dear Marie the Moon, 🌕
  
  On the contrary, SoundEagle🦅 has already made it very clear, right from the start of the previous comment, about the distinction between the two words using a very authoritative source. If you were indeed a moron (and that thought has never crossed SoundEagle🦅’s mind), the previous comment of SoundEagle🦅 would have been rather superfluous and wasted. Besides, those six points possess far more validity and cogency than you have assumed or realised, regardless of your current disagreement or reservation.
  
  Speaking of your poem, SoundEagle🦅 imagines that “wings” could have been a better fit than “arms”. In any case, your lovely poem is now delightfully equipped with many bells and whistles by courtesy of SoundEagle🦅, and lovingly presented with TRUE LOVE at 🦅 SoundEagle in Art and Poetry 📜. Please enjoy!
  
  LikeLiked by 2 people
mariewilliams53 24 January 2018 at 7:57 AM Reply

Glad you like my reply SE. I can’t wait to see what you come up with in response! I bet it will be classic!!!! lol

LikeLiked by 2 people
- SoundEagle 26 January 2018 at 7:47 PM Reply
  Dear Marie the Moon, 🌕
  
  SoundEagle🦅 just realised that the abovementioned two weblinks led one back to the current post rather than the intended posts. The weblinks have been properly fixed right where they are presented in the respective comments above. For your convenience, they are also listed here as follows:
  
  🦅 SoundEagle in Art, Aphorism and Paramusic 🏝
  
  🏮 Chinese New Year Celebration, Spring Festival, Flying Eagle, Galloping Horses and Annual Surplus 鷹飛馬騰, 年年有餘 🐎
  LikeLiked by 2 people
  - mariewilliams53 27 January 2018 at 6:59 AM
    
    Dear SoundEagle, try as I might, I cannot navigate my way to the wonders of which you speak. Geolocations, your shining and brilliant wit, amongst other qualities are some of the factors which prevent me from doing so – that and my ignorance to technology, I guess. 🙂
    
    LikeLiked by 2 people
  - SoundEagle 27 January 2018 at 7:14 AM
    
    Dear Marie the Moon, 🌕
    
    SoundEagle🦅 would like to advise you that clicking the two links with the mouse cursor is all it takes to navigate your way to the wonders. 🙂
    
    By the way, SoundEagle🦅 is currently composing another “little poem” about Marie the Moon 🌕.
    
    LikeLiked by 1 person
  - mariewilliams53 27 January 2018 at 7:31 AM
    
    I did this, but I cannot find the delights to which you refer, dear one.:)
    
    LikeLiked by 1 person
  - SoundEagle 27 January 2018 at 7:59 AM
    
    Dear Marie the Moon, 🌕
    
    When you eventually navigate your way to the two unique wonders across geolocations and time zones, please feel free to send forth your poetic gems to SoundEagle🦅’s utter delight.
    
    LikeLiked by 2 people
  - mariewilliams53 27 January 2018 at 9:05 PM
    
    I’ll be a while SE … but I’m sure patience is one of your virtues.:) In the meanwhile, here is a gem:
    SoundEagle has asked me to view
    A delight that ‘he'(?) has construed
    I cannot find it, damn it
    But isn’t that life? Cor stroothe …
    
    LikeLiked by 2 people
  - mariewilliams53 27 January 2018 at 7:33 AM
    
    Too late I responded before reading and digesting all … I see you are currently composing … that of course makes me incredibly happy. What colour hair and eyes have you got? Will these attributes appear in the said poem? I’d like to think so! 🙂
    
    LikeLiked by 2 people
Akanksha 3 February 2018 at 5:24 AM Reply

This is such an amazing post, loved the way you signified the true essence and meaning of every single moment. You truly deserve this award. Congrats..!!

LikeLiked by 2 people
- SoundEagle 15 February 2018 at 4:54 PM Reply
  
  Hi Akanksha,
  
  Thank you for your comment and compliment. SoundEagle🦅 is delighted that you have found the contents of this very special post to be edifying, and would like to wish you a most romantic occasion on this Valentine’s day with the faculty, potency and blessings of Love’s Forte at 🦅 SoundEagle in Love and Dove, Art and Heart on Valentine’s Day with Gifts 🎁💝🕊💌💘.
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person
The Quotation Fallacy “💬” | 🦅 SoundEagle 19 February 2018 at 6:21 PM Reply

[…] example, the myth of “If I can do it then anybody can.” is perpetuated by certain mental predispositions or psychological biases, insofar as people tend […]

LikeLiked by 1 person
robert okaji 10 March 2018 at 8:49 AM Reply

I am content to live in the moment, except when I’m not. The mind must wander or I’ll wither away.

LikeLiked by 2 people
- SoundEagle 🦅ೋღஜஇ 10 June 2018 at 10:20 AM Reply
  
  Hi Robert Okaji,
  
  Happy summer to you! As a writer and poet, perhaps you will appreciate the words of Colin (pendantry) extracted from his post entitled “Being in the moment: in search of wu wei” as follows:
  
  ‘Being in the present’ is clearly the best way to be. Perhaps there’s something to this ‘mindfulness’ stuff. It seems to me that writing is ‘mindful’; even if what you’re writing about is events in the past, or ponderings about the future, in the act of putting words in a row you have to be in the moment to do so.
  
  LikeLiked by 2 people
  - robert okaji 10 June 2018 at 11:52 AM
    
    Thank you for this. Yes, it seems so!
    
    LikeLiked by 2 people
DG MARYOGA 14 March 2018 at 10:32 PM Reply

Thank you for perstisting,I reached you easier through Twitter!Kudos to such an inspiring and influential blog 🙂
PS:It though scrolls down with difficulty,but at long last,I made it 🙂 Have a brilliant and creative day 🙂

LikeLiked by 2 people
roijoyeux 15 March 2018 at 4:53 AM Reply

living in the moment that is the key, living moments without thoughts

LikeLiked by 2 people
swabby429 26 March 2018 at 11:40 AM Reply

Hello, I’m impressed that this “award” inspired you to write a lengthy string of articles and reflections about living mindfully in the moment. Personally, I disregard such “awards” that are not backed up by institutions of learning or some other well-established institution. Many of these “awards” are comparable to Internet chain letters, so I’ve become very selective and skeptical about any praise being lavished on me and/or my blog by such awards. Until someone nominates me for a Pulitzer or a Nobel Prize, I’ll regard any others with a grain of salt.

Thats said, you took this as inspiration and ran with it. There is a great deal of information to read here. Your own words at the beginning of this anthology summarize the collective gist of the messages in the videos and other writings quite well. It was good to review these.

The points are to be mindful of the present for the most part and perform ones actions in compassionate, ethical, fair ways. In a nutshell, that is what is required for an “award-winning” life.

Thank you for frequently visiting bluejayblog.

LikeLiked by 2 people
- SoundEagle ೋღஜஇ 7 April 2018 at 1:43 PM Reply
  Hi swabby429,
  
  Your comments are always very welcome, especially the much longer ones like this, as they are far more gratifying and effective in conveying your messages. Please be informed that SoundEagle🦅 agrees with your previous comment, and would like to add the following qualifications to your specific points, now listed below in their order of appearance in your comment:
  
  The “lengthy string of articles and reflections” to which you refer have sequential and thematic connections with each other, given that their contents flow smoothly from one to another.
  
  Regardless of the origin, pedigree, currency and authenticity of the BEST MOMENT AWARD, or indeed any award for that matter, any reasonable person can realize without much difficulty that SoundEagle🦅 has ostensibly produced a highly distinctive post that not only respects and pays homage to the ethos and spirit of the award, but also ventures far beyond the purviews of the award to encompass intellectual, philosophical and existential terrains straddling multiple disciplines.
  
  That SoundEagle🦅 does not require the enormous incentive, reward, exposure, opportunity and recognition bestowed by a Pulitzer or a Nobel Prize or the like to prepare and present such a comprehensive, protracted, multifaceted and dedicated 🔖 Acceptance Speech 🎙 is the utmost testimony to the true strengths and solid convictions etched into the endeavours expanded in the preparation and publication of this post.
  
  One may state that few, if any, acceptance speeches presented in any form(at) for any occasion or award, even that of a Pulitzer or a Nobel Prize, can conceivably approach even a fraction of the time and effort required to peruse SoundEagle🦅’s very lengthy post in its entirety (including watching the embedded videos), which can easily entail (far) more than ten hours to complete.
  
  Parts of the post concretely deal with awardees’ attitudes and psychology as well as what people often think of high achievers, plus people’s reckonings and rationales about social statuses and social opportunities, both of their own and others.
  
  Whilst SoundEagle🦅’s “own words at the beginning of this anthology summarize the collective gist of the messages in the videos and other writings quite well”, the most significant and sobering revelations are concentrated in the Conclusion: Change Rules and Moment Matters, which necessitates a thorough reading to reap the greatest dividends and to acquire the most profound understandings contained in the post.
  
  To resonate further with swabby429, your long-time blogging avian friend SoundEagle🦅 would thereby like to conclude this comment in a manner similar to yours: In a nutshell, all of the abovementioned qualifications is what is required for an “award-winning” 🔖 Acceptance Speech 🎙.
  LikeLiked by 1 person
🦅 SoundEagle Appreciation Award 🎖 | SoundEagle 🦅ೋღஜஇ 11 April 2018 at 6:26 PM Reply

[…] Moment Matters 🔖🏆 […]

LikeLike
rawgod 2 August 2018 at 4:44 PM Reply

Hey SoundEagle, I entirely missed this post, but I doubt if my comment will go unseen. “If I can do it, anyone can” is a particular mantra of mine, but not as you make it sound. I was born in 1949. I was born poor, I am still poor, moneywise. I was born in ill health, I am still in ill health

LikeLiked by 2 people
rawgod 2 August 2018 at 4:55 PM Reply

The send button is in a bad place, lol.
. I was born a guy. I am still a guy. I was born to one horribly abusive parent, and one semi-abusive parent. Childhood was no fun.
But I am happy. I lived an incredible life that led to profound understanding. I am a spiritual atheist, a responsible anarchist. I respect all living beings to the best of my human ability. I am a child of the cosmos, and like the cosmos, I am forever changing within the parameters I have put myself in. I am me. I love being me. I did that, and so can anyone else. It is all inside us, a potentiality that only needs to be listened to, heard, and understood.
Do I have a big ego? The biggest. Do I have a small ego? The smallest. I am a paradoxical being. And I would be no other way, for in my opinion, there is no other way to be… ALIVE!

LikeLiked by 2 people
- SoundEagle ೋღஜஇ 2 August 2018 at 5:32 PM Reply
  
  Hi rawgod,
  
  It has been a while since your last visit. Happy August to you!
  
  SoundEagle🦅 would like to inform you that the discursive section entitled “If I can do it then anybody can.” addresses various issues and cases in considerable detail, including those similar or pertain to your circumstances as described in your first comment.
  
  Having to retype and resubmit notwithstanding, your second comment is indeed a celebration of your commitment, paradoxical being, cosmological identification, heightened humanism, responsible anarchism and spiritual atheism as well as your
  
  Joie de vivre!
  
  Greetings and Humours from ჱܓSoundEagle
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person
  - rawgod 2 August 2018 at 5:49 PM
    
    Happy August to you, SoundEagle.
    Poor Zeno has lost another follower. It is stoic to not be a Stoic. Thank you.
    
    LikeLiked by 2 people
  - SoundEagle ೋღஜஇ 2 August 2018 at 6:08 PM
    
    Hi rawgod,
    
    SoundEagle🦅 has promptly changed the word in the previous comment from “stoicism” to “anarchism”, as you seem to lean much farther to the latter. Anyway, Zeno of Elea is still unlikely to turn in his grave, unless either or both of your statements “I was born a guy. I am still a guy.” in your second comment is/are never or no longer true. 😉
    
    LikeLiked by 1 person
  - rawgod 2 August 2018 at 6:13 PM
    
    Take it as you like it, lol. But please preface anarchism with the qualifier “responsible.” This the early anarchists did not discover. To be an anarchist one must be responsible, it comes with the job…
    
    LikeLiked by 2 people
  - rawgod 2 August 2018 at 6:25 PM
    
    Oops. This is now out of turn, but I again must ask, please qualify “atheism” with the adjective “spiritual”? Like responsible anarchy, spiritual atheism is “a priori” to atheism, it will just take time to get there, and time is what we have, for ee are alive…
    
    LikeLiked by 2 people
  - SoundEagle ೋღஜஇ 2 August 2018 at 6:47 PM
    
    Hello rawgod,
    
    SoundEagle🦅 has promptly changed “your commitment, stoicism, atheism” to “your commitment, anarchism, atheism” and then to “your commitment, paradoxical being, cosmological identification, heightened humanism, responsible anarchism and spiritual atheism” in this comment. The last change should indeed cover more than what you have just requested. 😜
    
    Finally, it’s all done to your specifications by SoundEagle🦅 amicably and stylishly for a somewhat “high-maintenance” god, whether raw or ripe! 😉
    
    By the way, the post entitled The Quotation Fallacy “💬” has been significantly expanded and improved. SoundEagle🦅 wonders what you might make of it…… 😇
    
    LikeLike
  - rawgod 3 August 2018 at 3:40 AM
    
    I will have to go back and check it out. That will hopefjlly be soon. Meanwhile, thank you for correcting my being, but please, no god references. rawgod once had a meaning, it is now just me…
    
    LikeLiked by 2 people
  - SoundEagle ೋღஜஇ 26 December 2018 at 3:53 PM
    
    Hi rawgod,
    
    SoundEagle🦅 just realises from reading your name backwards that you are quite a dog war, a jingoistic canine!
    
    Wishing you neither a happy Boxing Day nor a joyful Saint Stephen’s Day but a joyous Kwanzaa from 26 December 2018 to 1 January 2019!
    
    LikeLike
ProfTomBot 19 August 2018 at 9:10 AM Reply

Took a while to get through it all but a good read! I enjoyed how many routes of psycho-social analysis you took for “If I can do it anyone can”. As an anthropologist I’d say you nailed it! Likewise for your extensive coverage of present mindedness. I think your average American -albeit predisposed to ignore literature like this – would greatly benefit even just reading the summaries. I surely was reminded as well as enlightened by each section here. I look forward to following your blog!

I’d only add my own tip for present thinking is to develop an eye for detailed observation. It’s therapeutic to be mindful of your environment in an engaging way that’s easy to sustain. Taking time to peer closely at things, or note the juxtapositions and relations, the patterns or nuances, will inevitably entertain you whilst you are mindful and aware of your present space and time.
Ultimately, I believe in deep thinking but not in rumination, anticipation, or assumption. Think to your heart’s content on progressive concepts and thought experiments. I believe you cannot lose a mind profound.

LikeLiked by 3 people
- SoundEagle ೋღஜஇ 20 August 2018 at 11:28 PM Reply
  
  Hello Prof. Thomas Larson,
  
  Thank you for your wonderful comment and compliment. It is delightful and very satisfying to know that you have enjoyed the long ride and considered it “a good read!”
  
  SoundEagle🦅 hopes that this post has, in its own fashion, complemented your excellent post entitled Be Certain of Uncertainty via the multipronged discussions on process philosophy (also known as processism, philosophy of organism, or ontology of becoming) in relation to change, causality, (in)determinism, metaphysical reality, stoic philosophy as well as the philosophy of space and time.
  
  Referring to “your average American -albeit predisposed to ignore literature like this”, there certainly exist those who utter “If you don’t make it in America it’s because you don’t want to!” They almost invariably subscribe to the view or motto “If I can do it then anybody can.”, which, as you and I can see, can be thoroughly analysed and debunked, though it does mandates, as you put it, “many routes of psycho-social analysis”, much like unpacking and solving a hardcore but outstanding mathematical equation, medical mystery, criminal case, social riddle, psychological profile or anthropological enigma.
  
  Given your interest and professional background, the post entitled The Quotation Fallacy “💬” awaits your perusal. May it whet your appetite and rev up your intellectual gear just as much or even more!
  
  The offering of your “own tip for present thinking” with a good dose of paying attention to interconnections and a healthful nod to environmental awareness is highly appreciated, as is your aim for achieving a profound mind through “deep thinking”, “progressive concepts” and “thought experiments”. It is going to be highly curious, revealing and stimulating to see whether you view the detail offered by the post entitled 🦅 SoundEagle in Art, Aphorism and Paramusic 🏝 can add or clarify aspects, features, nuances or avenues in the process of attaining present thinking.
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person
Anna Waldherr 17 September 2018 at 10:31 AM Reply

Along these lines, the Bible advises us to remember God’s past graciousness to us (Psalm 77: 11), and not worry about the future (Matthew 6: 34). ❤

LikeLiked by 2 people
- SoundEagle ೋღஜஇ 17 September 2018 at 4:36 PM Reply
  
  Hi Anna Waldherr,
  
  Happy mid-September to you! Thank you for your biblical references. You are very welcome to quote the two passages from (Psalm 77: 11) and (Matthew 6: 34) to edify us.
  
  LikeLiked by 2 people
Swarn Gill 15 November 2018 at 12:49 PM Reply

As I was reading about the change in philosophy from the moment to one of process, it made me think of a transcript of a speech by Douglas Adams that I enjoy very much where he talks about the 4 ages of sand that changed the world. The first being sand (silicone) that was used to make a glass lens for the telescope which expanded our world in the macro, and then the 2nd age is the glass lens for the microscope that showed us the “universe” in the micro, and the 3rd being the silicone chip that allowed us to make computers which help us understand the process. To be able to see things rise from simplicity to complexity. I guess I am a very process oriented person, but I am learning to appreciate the moment more. I think both have value. As to which one is a better description of reality…well maybe the answer is also both. Maybe moments are just the particles of processes, just as photons are particles of EM radiation which move in waves.

LikeLiked by 2 people
- SoundEagle ೋღஜஇ 16 November 2018 at 3:05 PM Reply
  
  Hello Swarn Gill,
  
  Happy mid-November to you! Perhaps it is quite analogous and not too far-fetched for us to appropriate some concepts from subatomic physics to describe moment as particle and process as wave. Then existence can be said to be lived out through the moment-process duality, or the being-becoming dualism, whether they are balanced equals, contrasted aspects, opposed realities or coexisting natures.
  
  Since you seem to have mentioned only three of the four ages of sand, SoundEagle🦅 would like to take the opportunity to cite your post of 2015 entitled “The 4th Age of Sand”, which begins as follows:
  
  Douglas Adams in a wonderful speech he gave (transcript here) talked about how humanity has made enormous leaps via, what he calls, the four ages of sand. Sand being made of silicon he outlines the 4 ages as:
  
  1) Using silicon to make glass for the telescope
  
  2) Using silicon to make glass for the microscope
  
  These two allowed us to see the macro and micro universe around us.
  
  3) The silicon chip. Computers with their ability to do many calculations quickly allowed us to model the process of how things work.
  
  4) Silicon for fiber optics in the communication age.
  
  Thank you, Swarn, for giving us the chance to process our moments via comments, which should make as much sense as they matter to us intellectually and spiritually.
  
  LikeLiked by 2 people
  - Swarn Gill 17 November 2018 at 2:25 AM
    
    Thanks for posting a link…more to Douglas Adams speech transcript rather than my blog…but appreciated nonetheless. lol
    
    Perhaps the 4th age of sand is what allows us to share both our moments and our processes across the world….hopefully that will lead to even more empathy and understanding for our fellow human wherever they may be.
    
    LikeLiked by 2 people
Author_Joanne_Reed 16 November 2019 at 2:12 PM Reply

Very thorough and eloquent “Tour de Force” on the subject! Feeling ‘extraordinary mental clarity and vividness’ on the subject. Nothing else of value to add except that I really enjoyed reading the part about how animals can teach us about mindfulness. Great observation! I agree totally and I would like to confirm that dogs CAN smile. My dog Louis smiles all the times!

LikeLiked by 2 people
Anna Waldherr 9 March 2020 at 11:28 AM Reply

A wide range of comments on how we human beings experience time, and how best we can use our limited time here on earth.

LikeLiked by 2 people
The Freethinker 23 March 2020 at 10:25 AM Reply

Wow..!
This is so insightful and thought provoking. You must have done a lot of research here. I love this post. It covers different subjects.
I do believe we all have equal opportunities. Most people do fail to recognize these opportunities, and use them to their advantage.
You’re kind of right though. Some environment do prove favourable, when compared to others, as regards being a successful person in terms of wealth. Where I come from, the lack of constant electricity, do affect businesses. Infrastructural development and social amenities, do play a major role in businesses.
In more developed countries, they’re more opportuned in building expires, due to provision of certain facilities. In less developed countries, the leaders expect the masses to build empires, but they fail to make provisions for the people, and put some things in place, to aid them.

I love the second part of this post so much, because it is similar to my blog posts, most especially my “About” page. It is very important to enjoy the”present” and stop worrying about a non-existent future. I know we all have plans lineup for the future, but that doesn’t mean we have to worry about them all the time, else we will miss the beauty of the present.

And yes, the mind do tend to wander often, thereby creating feelings of dissatisfaction and lack. A wandering mind can be quite dangerous, if not controlled.

You’re also right about technology and social media taking over our lives. We need to stop allowing these things control our lives, and start building real, meaningful relationships with others.

Also, living in the present doesn’t mean you shouldn’t plan for the future. Instant gratifications can be disastrous, sometimes.

I really enjoy this post, and I love your mindful tips also. Thank you so much. 🙏🙂

LikeLiked by 2 people
Robert 25 April 2020 at 7:22 AM Reply

Wow! Thank you ❤️

LikeLiked by 2 people
Dr Bob Rich 3 May 2020 at 1:01 PM Reply

Sound Eagle, I have read your learned dissertation. It is more a book than a blog post. 🙂
As you know, I am in basic agreement with your thesis, so will award you a Ph.D. in presentology.

LikeLiked by 2 people
Anna Waldherr 3 June 2020 at 12:52 AM Reply

Past traumas and lingering regrets can impact the present. Mindfulness connects us to the present. It is actually used to counter PTSD. ❤

LikeLiked by 1 person
alfonso 4 June 2020 at 9:05 PM Reply

Incгedible points. Great arguments. Кеep up the great wߋrk.

LikeLike
Cindy Georgakas 19 September 2020 at 8:55 AM Reply

Congratulations SoundEagle. There is a lot of wisdom in your post. May you continue to be blessed with music and writing gifts!
Blessings, Cindy

LikeLiked by 1 person
- SoundEagle ೋღஜஇ 19 September 2020 at 9:48 AM Reply
  
  🔖🏅Best💠Moment⏲🏆
  
  🌷 Dear Cindy 💐
  
  Congratulations to you on finding the comment section here! SoundEagle🦅 looks forward to your finding the ⭐️ Like button to like the post, and to your revealing what or which particular pieces of wisdom you like about the post, given that you recently mentioned in one of your comments on your blog that you have “read through a lot of it”. Thank you in anticipation.
  
  As stated in your post entitled Perfect Moments:
  
  The waters flow into a panacea of perfect moments while I drink in nature filling my heart with peace and tranquility.
  Cindy~
  
  We might not have Perfect Days but I hope you catch a moment here and there. Acknowledge the small everyday blessings that show up on your path today. I’d love to hear what perfect moments you find today if you care to share?
  
  Regarding your question about “perfect moments”, SoundEagle🦅 hopes that this post is the most suitable one for you to find the answer to your question.
  
  Please feel free to make further perusals and comments here to your heart’s content as you savour SoundEagle🦅 in Best Moment Award from Moment Matters 🔖🏆 filling your heart with a spiritual outlook and a minimalist perspective on life that is conducive to happiness and predicated on living in the present moment through mindful awareness emancipated from the vagaries of the subconscious and the itinerants of the mind.
  
  May you feel Brighter than Autumn in September and beyond!
  
  Yours sincerely,
  ჱܓSoundEagle🦅
  
  LikeLike
Cindy Georgakas 20 September 2020 at 3:43 AM Reply

Thank you very much SoundEagle for the beautiful admiration and posting my quote. You say so many things and it is hard to pick just one. All very insightful and beautiful with good tips. I agree that having a spiritual connection with the divine brings us peace and tranquility through mindfulness and love. I will you all the love your heart can hold always. Blessings, Cindy ❤️🙏

LikeLiked by 1 person
Tim O'Connor 4 December 2020 at 12:47 PM Reply

Thank you again for the link to my article above. This is a fascinating post. You covered so much of what is involved in maintaining a presence in the world as a human being. So much has been written about states and stages of consciousness from a perspective of physics, psychology, medicine (neurobiology), and religion.

You paid particular attention to understanding our mental processes and recognizing that we are not aware of many of them. We have developed biases over the years as individuals and as humankind.

While conscious, many of our thoughts are triggered from a subconscious memory of the past or the anticipation of a future event, good or bad. If we focus on our external world for happiness we will succumb to a variety of patterned behaviors to “feel” happy as if happiness can be triggered from the outside/in. What feels like happiness in any moment may be a reward or triggered response to a condition involving relationships with others that we see as our source. Where is our source?

When I think of “stimulus independent thought” I think about recognizing the source within myself that allows me to choose how I respond to circumstances within each moment. It is a source I cannot understand because I do not see it as a stimulus. It was there when I was conceived. When I was just a pattern of cells duplicating from a DNA code, it knew the shape of my body, my face, and what traits would later define me as an individual. It was a prototype in motion and created me before I had a heart and a brain. It knew what I am.

I could call that source by a variety of names but that might involve a bias that would prevent me from recognizing it. In any moment in time, I am in the presence of source as it is in creation.

When I am mindful of the moment, I am mindful of the power within me that creates and is greater than any stimulus outside of myself.

A good practice, like meditation is one that removes bias and allows for the recognition of our innate power in any moment in time.

LikeLiked by 1 person
💬 Misquotation Pandemic and Disinformation Polemic: 🧠 Mind Pollution by Viral Falsity 🦠 | SoundEagle 🦅ೋღஜஇ 19 December 2020 at 10:18 AM Reply

[…] Moment Matters 🔖🏆 […]

LikeLike
Athira 3 January 2021 at 1:50 PM Reply

Hi Sound Eagle, Your thoughts are really beautiful and lengthy too. It’s very difficult to point out a single point here, but I must say you’re really talented.I just randomly went to some of your posts, I’m glad to read all those.
The word GRATITUDE is really attached to my life.I found those in your posts too.Thank you🙏🏻

LikeLiked by 1 person
kenneturner 16 January 2021 at 1:58 AM Reply

A fascinating read on a lot of topics, concepts, etc. I like to read about and writers I like. You obviously have read a lot and done a lot of research.

LikeLiked by 1 person
Lisa at Micro of the Macro 11 May 2021 at 2:32 AM Reply

I enjoyed the sections I read, SoundEagle. You’re a deep thinker & have shared some important information & lots of good tips here. My favorite part is “In other words, the goal of life according to Stoicism is to live in accordance with Nature through the development of self-control and fortitude as a means of overcoming unruly and destructive emotions.” Due to the fact the overuse of technology can result in health problems, I limit my screen time, and your posts are just too long for me to read in their entirety! But keep up the great work, my friend! 🌞

LikeLiked by 1 person
PENJIRI 28 May 2021 at 2:48 AM Reply

I really loved reading this, great post. Thank you for recommending it.

LikeLiked by 1 person
Verbrugge 2 August 2021 at 8:12 PM Reply

Shakyamuni Buddha repeatedly taught, All compounded things are impermanent. Science has determined that everything degrades over time. Things that degrade range from the smallest atomic particles, to stars, and probably the Universe. Since all of us are formed from star matter , we are also impermanent. This fact is in direct opposition to our notion that we are permanent beings, whose essence will somehow live on forever.

LikeLiked by 1 person
Daily Poetry 8 June 2022 at 2:55 PM Reply

Hi, I am going to a rough spot and this post really made a difference to me. Living in the moment beats worrying about the past or the future. Thanks for sharing.

LikeLiked by 1 person
🏛️⚖️ The Facile and Labile Nature of Law: Beyond the Supreme Court and Its Ruling on Controversial Matters 🗽🗳️🔫🤰🧑‍🤝‍🧑💉 | SoundEagle 🦅ೋღஜஇ 28 June 2022 at 5:21 PM Reply

[…] Moment Matters 🔖🏆 […]

LikeLike
👑 Reign not SoundEagle🦅’s Flight, For I seek thy Crested Might ⚜️ | SoundEagle 🦅ೋღஜஇ 17 August 2022 at 1:07 PM Reply

[…] Moment Matters 🔖🏆 […]

LikeLike
🔄📈📉 Change Rules and Moment Matters: How to Stay in the Moment 🔖🕰️🔂 | SoundEagle 🦅ೋღஜஇ 19 August 2022 at 11:56 PM Reply

[…] showing descriptive information or instruction. ჱܓSoundEagle🦅 Testimonial: Dr Bob Rich 3 May 2020 at 1:01 PM Sound Eagle, I have read your learned dissertation. It is more a book than a blog post. 🙂 As you […]

LikeLike
👁️ The Purview of SoundEagle🦅: A Multidisciplinary and Consilient Approach to Critique and Creation in Art, Science, Poetry, Music and Ideas 🖼️📰📜🎶💭 | SoundEagle 🦅ೋღஜஇ 21 October 2022 at 2:25 AM Reply

[…] Moment Matters 🔖🏆 […]

LikeLike

	SoundEagle 🦅ೋღஜஇ on 👁️ The Purview of SoundEagle🦅:…
	JB Dhruva on 👁️ The Purview of SoundEagle🦅:…
	SoundEagle 🦅ೋღஜஇ on 📈🌆 Growing Humanity with Artif…
	Sue Dreamwalker on 📈🌆 Growing Humanity with Artif…
	SoundEagle ೋღஜஇ on 📈🌆 Growing Humanity with Artif…
	Sue Dreamwalker on 📈🌆 Growing Humanity with Artif…
	SoundEagle ೋღஜஇ on 📈🌆 Growing Humanity with Artif…
	SoundEagle ೋღஜஇ on 📈🌆 Growing Humanity with Artif…
	Sue Dreamwalker on 📈🌆 Growing Humanity with Artif…
	SoundEagle 🦅ೋღஜஇ on 📈🌆 Growing Humanity with Artif…
	Sue Dreamwalker on 📈🌆 Growing Humanity with Artif…
	SoundEagle 🦅ೋღஜஇ on 📈🌆 Growing Humanity with Artif…
	Deedee (DD) on 📈🌆 Growing Humanity with Artif…
	Deedee (DD) on 📈🌆 Growing Humanity with Artif…
	SoundEagle ೋღஜஇ on 📈🌆 Growing Humanity with Artif…

Blog:	SoundEagle🦅ೋღஜஇ
Topics:	Science, Art, Writing, Music

SoundEagle 🦅ೋღஜஇ

Criticism

Conclusion: Change Rules and Moment Matters

THE WINNERS OF THE BEST MOMENT AWARD ARE:

[Note: The winners listed above are originally designated by MomentMatters.com]

Post navigation

101 comments on “🦅 SoundEagle in Best Moment Award from Moment Matters 🔖🏆”

SoundEagle🦅’s moment🕰 &
Marie🌕’s while🔖

May you feel Brighter than Autumn in September and beyond!

❄ ❅ ❆ Leave some Thoughts💭 or Comments💬 Cancel reply

SoundEagle 🦅ೋღஜஇ

🦅 SoundEagle in Best Moment Award from Moment Matters 🔖🏆

Moment Matters

Awarding the people who live in the moment, The noble who write and capture the best in life, The bold who reminded us what really mattered ― Savouring the experience of quality time.

RULES:

RESOURCES:

Criticism

Conclusion: Change Rules and Moment Matters

THE WINNERS OF THE BEST MOMENT AWARD ARE:

[Note: The winners listed above are originally designated by MomentMatters.com]

Are you living in the present?

Method 1: Developing Your Awareness

Method 2: Incorporating Mindful Activities

Why living in the present will change your life.

The benefits of reflecting on the past

The benefits of planning for the future

The benefits of mind-wandering

“Living in the moment” – a common excuse to be impulsive and reckless?

When to “live in the moment” – and when not to

Mindfulness Places Us Where Our Choice is Possible

Related Articles 📰

░░☼╰┳☯┳╯ Share This Page with Other People or Social Media ╰┳☯┳╯☼░░

Related

Post navigation

101 comments on “🦅 SoundEagle in Best Moment Award from Moment Matters 🔖🏆”

SoundEagle🦅’s moment🕰 & Marie🌕’s while🔖

May you feel Brighter than Autumn in September and beyond!

❄ ❅ ❆ Leave some Thoughts💭 or Comments💬 Cancel reply

Discover more from SoundEagle 🦅ೋღஜஇ

Awarding the people who live in the moment,
The noble who write and capture the best in life,
The bold who reminded us what really mattered ―
Savouring the experience of quality time.

SoundEagle🦅’s moment🕰 &
Marie🌕’s while🔖