Learn to Live in the Present Moment

学会活在当下

To a large degree,

很大程度上，

the measure of our peace of mind is determined¹ by how much we are able to live in the present moment.

我们内心的平和取决于我们是否活在当下。

Irrespective of what happened yesterday or last year,

不论昨天或去年发生什么，

and what may or may not happen tomorrow,

不管明天会不会发生什么。

the present moment is where you are-always.

当下才是你所在的地方，而且向来如此!

Without question, many of us have mastered the neurotic² art of spending much of our lives worrying about a variety of things-all at once.

毫无疑问，我们之中许多人都十分精通神经质艺术，浪费生命去忧虑各种事情。

We allow past problems and future concerns to dominate our present moments,

我们让过去的问题和未来的忧虑主宰目前的时光。

so much so that we end up anxious, frustrated³,

结果我们变得焦虑不安，感到受挫，

depressed⁴, and hopeless.

沮丧、了无希望。

On the flip⁵ side, we also postpone⁶ our gratification,

另一方面，我们延迟自己的满足感，

our stated priorities, and our happiness,

推迟我们应优先考虑的事情以及自己的幸福，

often convincing ourselves that someday will be better than today.

去说服自己总有一天会比今天更好。

Unfortunately, the same mental dynamics⁷ that tell us to look toward the future will only repeat themselves so that someday never actually arrives.

不幸的是，我们期待未来的心理机制只会一再重复，结果总有一天从未真正到来。

John Lennon once said, Life is what's happening while we're busy making other plans.

约翰·列侬曾经说过：生命就是我们忙着做其他计划的时候，所发生的一切。

When we're busy making other plans,

当我们忙着做其他计划时，

our children are busy growing up,

我们的孩子也忙着长大，

the people we love are moving away and dying,

我们所爱的人在逐渐远离、死去，

our bodies are getting out of shape,

我们的体型不知不觉地变样，

and our dreams are slipping away.

我们的梦想也偷偷溜走。

In short, we miss out on life.

换句话说，我们错过了人生。

Many people live as if life were a dress rehearsal⁸ for some later date.

许多人把生命当做对以后某个日期的彩排生活。

It isn't.

人生不是这样的。

In fact, no one has a guarantee that he or she will be here tomorrow.

其实，没有人可以保证，明天他或她还会在这里。

Now is the only time we have,

现在是我们拥有的惟一时刻，

and the only time that we have any control over.

也是我们能控制的惟一时光。

When our attention is in the present moment,

当我们把注意力放在当下时，

we push fear from our minds.

就能把恐惧从心底排出。

Fear is the concern over events that might happen in the future-we won' t have enough money,

恐惧是忧虑未来可能发生的种种情况。例如，我们不会有足够的金钱，

our children will get into trouble,

我们的孩子会惹麻烦，

we will get old and die, whatever.

我们会老会死等等。

To combat fear, the best strategy is to learn to bring your attention back to the present.

对抗恐惧的最佳策略就是，学会将你的注意力拉回到现在。

Mark Twain said,I have been through some terrible things in my life,some of which actually happened.

马克·吐温就曾说过：我这一生经历过许多糟糕的事情，只有一些真的发生了。

I don't think I can say it any better.

我想，我无法说得更好了。

Practice keeping your attention on the here and now.

经常将注意力放在此时此刻，

Your efforts will pay great dividends⁹.

你的努力将会得到丰厚的报偿!