Past. Future. Present.

 Past

Have you ever caught yourself staring out the window, replaying old conversations or imagining random scenarios?

You were probably daydreaming. And you're not alone.

A major study found that people spend nearly 47% of their waking hours lost in thought.

Almost half of our day — not really here.

Let's break that down.

• Say you sleep 7 hours a night. That leaves 17 hours awake.
• That's 1,020 minutes.
• 47% of that? Nearly 8 hours. Gone.

Eight hours where your mind is somewhere else.

On autopilot. Replaying the past. Worrying about the future. Going through the motions.

And what's left?

Just 9 hours — if you're lucky — to really live with intention.

To choose what you think, feel, and do.

To take control.

For a long time, I didn't even realize how much of my day I was missing.

I'd plan something and then wonder why I didn't get to it.

I blamed time. I blamed distractions. But the truth?

My mind was wandering, and I wasn't aware.

Once I saw the pattern, I couldn't unsee it.

That was the wake-up call.

Future

When you think about the future, what comes up?

Excitement? Anxiety? A sense of pressure?

For me, it used to be a mix of fear and overwhelm.

Too many options. Too many unknowns.

But here's what changed everything:

I realized the future isn't some giant leap.

It's a series of tiny decisions made today, over and over.

And to make those decisions well, you need mental clarity.

That's why meditation became non-negotiable for me.

It's not about "doing it right" or reaching enlightenment.

It's about creating space.

Do you know how you clean your house so you can think clearly?

Your mind deserves the same.

Meditation is that cleanup.

It's the pause before the next thought.

It's the breath before the next action.

And when I pair that pause with gratitude, something shifts.

I stop chasing and start appreciating.

I stop judging and start observing.

I stop spinning and start moving with purpose.

That's when the future starts to feel less like a threat and more like a direction.

When you know what matters to you — what really matters — you don't just react to life.

You build it.

So ask yourself:

• What do I want more of in my life?
• Who do I want to become?
• What legacy am I quietly creating each day?

The answers aren't out there. They're already in you.

You need space to hear them.

Present

And that brings us back to now.

This moment. Right here.

How often are you truly invested?

I ask myself that every morning. And often, the answer is: not enough.

It's easy to get pulled in a dozen directions.

Emails. Notifications. Responsibilities. Self-doubt.

But presence isn't about perfection.

It's about returning — again and again — to what's right in front of you.

And that's a skill. One you can train. One you can grow.

For me, presence begins the moment I wake up in the morning.

No phone. No scroll. Just breath, stillness, and a question:

What is one thing I can do today that matters to me?

Sometimes it's a small task.

Sometimes it's letting go of something heavy.

Sometimes it's just being kind to myself.

But every time I answer that question with intent, I start to feel grounded.

And when I drift (because I will), I gently pull myself back.

This isn't about being hyper-productive.

It's about being fully alive.

So next time your mind starts to wander, try this:

• Stop what you're doing.
• Take one deep breath.
• Remind yourself: This moment matters.

Because it does.

And when you string enough of those moments together, you're not just living—you're awake.

So here's the real challenge:

Can you honour your past, stay open to the future, and still be rooted in the now?

That's the work.

That's the practice.

That's the path to a meaningful life.

You don't need more time.

You need to make the most of the time you already have.

Let that be your new intention.