"What we Manifest Lies Before Us"

This quote comes from a great book called, “The Art of Racing in the Rain,” by Garth Stein.
In it, the author describes how a race car driver is forced to live in the present moment. There is no time for memory or remembering, or for thinking of what lies in the distant future, because the next challenge is already upon you and it DEMANDS your intense present moment concentration and focus. In thinking too far ahead in anticipation, or in remembering/“thinking back” you are wasting precious PRESENT MOMENT time DEMANDING your attention which could jeopardize your “race.”
If you made a mistake, it was already over with, there is no time to ponder it, worry about it, wallow in self-pity – you have got to move on and keep striving to always do better – push the limits.
It was neat as the author used these analogies to parallel life. When we catch ourselves daydreaming, thinking of some past event, worrying about the future, we are exhausting our current life, the only thing we have, which is in fact, the present moment.
What if we lived with the intense present moment concentration and awareness in our lives? What would that look like while you were in fact listening to somebody – taking everything in – their expression, tone of voice, body language. What would that look like behind the wheel of your vehicle – radio up, talking on the cell phone, one hand on the wheel, all while reading the next billboard? What would happen to the quality of your relationships with your kids/ family/ spouse? Challenge yourself to experience it!