Today, we are living in a society where we are constantly overwhelmed by the external circumstances of our reality. By this I mean the constant thirst for the ego, worrying about how we are perceived (our past) and what we have to do in the future to make our lives better.

Modern times feed into this train of thought, through the plethora of social networking sites (facebook, twitter, and instagram) and the fast pace texting mentality. Society is constantly trying to gain approval from their peers through these social networking applications.

The “like” system on these applications is the best thing that ever happened to the ego. You can now look at your past and have a direct way to judge how popular your photos and posts are. It’s outrageous that 13-year-old girls are disappointed if they don’t reach the 200 like mark on their profile pictures. I don’t know about you guys, but something is seriously wrong here.

We live in a society that is obsessed with our image, and we are so hasty to judge others it’s absurd. In the meantime, while you are constantly judging your image and past, you are continuously worrying about the next best thing for your future.

You are probably worrying about an assignment due in a week or how competitive your summer internship application is going to be. This anticipation for the future, both good and bad, is hindering your presence in the now.

The point is you are not fully here, rather you’re split between two transparent entities (past and future). In reality, past and future don’t even exist. As Eckhart Tolle said in his book “The Power of Now,” “There was never a time where your life was not now.” The present moment is so very precious because it’s the one factor that remains constant in your life.

So why be torn between the delusion of past and future? I say live in the now. Make this very moment the best it can be. Do not judge it or label it in any way or form. For in this very moment, the past doesn’t exist and the future can wait.

Once this mindset is fully achieved you can finally be liberated from the world of overwhelming stress and anxiety. You will be able to appreciate and understand deeply the value that this very moment holds for you. Welcome, you are now truly living.

Jordan Bank | Elite.