Once upon a time, in a peaceful village surrounded by mountains, there lived a wise old sage. His name was Lao Tzu, and he was known far and wide for his profound wisdom. One day, he gathered a group of villagers who often seemed troubled and burdened by stress. Among them were individuals haunted by the past, worried about the future, and unable to find peace in the present.
Lao Tzu began by sharing one of his famous teachings: “If you are depressed, you are living in the past. If you are anxious, you are living in the future. If you are at peace, you are living in the present.” The villagers listened attentively, their curiosity piqued.
He then asked them to reflect on their lives and think about why they often found themselves stressed, filled with fear, and unable to embrace happiness in the present moment. “If you carefully analyze,” he explained, “you will notice that most of your problems are rooted in the past—events that went wrong, mistakes you made, or regrets about not making different choices. You might think, ‘If only I had done this, my present would have been different.’”
The villagers nodded, resonating with his words. Lao Tzu continued, “This is exactly what I pointed out. Depression stems from dwelling on past mistakes and being unwilling to accept them. The truth is, you cannot change the events of the past. What you can do is learn from those experiences and use that knowledge to improve your present.”
As the villagers reflected on their regrets, the sage revealed a profound truth. “One of the major flaws of human nature is our tendency to overlook the good in the present moment. We constantly bind ourselves to pain by endlessly reliving the past. To live a happy and fulfilling life, the first step is to close the chapter on the past. Accept that what has happened, has happened. You don’t have a time machine, so you cannot change it.”
Lao Tzu then shifted his focus to the villagers who were plagued by worry about the future. “Many of us worry excessively about the future: ‘What will happen? Will I achieve my goals? Will I earn enough? What if I don’t get good marks?’ This is what I referred to when I said that anxiety arises from thinking about the future.”
He paused and asked, “Now, let me ask you: How is the future created? Does a miracle occur to shape your future? Does an angel descend to make your dreams come true?” The villagers shook their heads. “The answer is no. Your future is the destination, and your daily actions are the journey that takes you there.”
To make his point, he shared an example. “If you want to score 90% in your exams, constantly worrying about it will only create unnecessary trouble. Instead, focus on smaller, manageable parts of your syllabus each day. Remind yourself that completing today’s task is a step toward achieving your goal.”
The villagers began to understand the power of living in the present. “The biggest benefit of living in the present,” Lao Tzu explained, “is that your chances of achieving future goals increase significantly—by 20-30%—because you focus on productive action. Moreover, you will feel happier because you’ll have accomplished something today, boosting your confidence and self-esteem.”
As the sun began to set behind the mountains, Lao Tzu concluded his lesson with a smile. “So, starting today, let go of the past and future. Focus solely on your daily tasks and live in happiness.”
The villagers left the sage’s presence that evening with lighter hearts and renewed determination to live in the present. And so, their journey toward a more peaceful and fulfilling life began.
