{"id":9337,"date":"2016-12-19T09:30:22","date_gmt":"2016-12-19T08:30:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/passodue.flywheelsites.com\/2016\/12\/19\/present-gift\/"},"modified":"2021-06-30T07:41:46","modified_gmt":"2021-06-30T05:41:46","slug":"present-gift","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/diariodiunconsulente.it\/en\/2016\/12\/19\/present-gift\/","title":{"rendered":"Our present is the gift"},"content":{"rendered":"

by\u00a0Alice Alessandri and Alberto Aleo<\/a><\/p>\n

\"our<\/p>\n

The end of 2016<\/strong> is approaching and our attention is split between a glance backwards, to assess the past season<\/strong>, and plans for the year ahead<\/strong>, with 12 months brand new months awaiting. But what if rather than living su<\/strong><\/p>\n

spended between past and future<\/strong>, we tried to live the present<\/strong>? What’s in the \u201chere and now<\/strong>?\u201d The answer is disarmingly simple: we<\/em> are here, at this very moment<\/strong>, as we move from who we were<\/em> to who we will be<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The present<\/strong> holds the key to our authentic evolution<\/strong>, but at times we seem to mislay this key.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

So, over the festive season let\u2019s give ourselves the gift of greater awareness<\/strong> of the present<\/strong>, made of gratitude<\/strong>, trust<\/strong> and other gifts that we will try to discover together.<\/p>\n

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Stuck in the past<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"stuck<\/p>\n

Just how many people are prisoners of the past? <\/strong>Such people are easy to recognize from their catchphrases: \u201cIf only I had\u2026\u201d, \u201cI’ve always been like that …\u201d, \u201cIf I could go back in time …\u201d, \u201cIt was better when it was worse …\u201d, \u201cBetter the devil you know\u2026\u201d. The past<\/strong> is the sum of the experiences we have been through and should serve to gather knowledge<\/strong> about ourselves and others, to check on our development<\/strong>, perfecting what has worked and learning from our mistakes<\/strong>. But all too often we hang on to values, beliefs <\/strong>and opinions<\/strong> that are no longer really ours, or to excuses<\/strong> that even we no longer find convincing, but to which we feel so strongly bound that we are almost forced to maintain them alive. Our advice?<\/p>\n

Forgive yourself for any \u201cmistakes\u201d you may have made. Accept the lesson from the past and then move on, sure of the fact that you did everything you could. <\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

We only act in the present<\/strong>; the past can provide data and information to avoid new errors and make the most of our experiences<\/strong>, but it never provides solutions.<\/p>\n

The future yet to come<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"live<\/a>This was the slogan that launched the telephone company Blu on the Italian market some years ago, and in just a few months the company disappeared from the scene. The future<\/strong> is a wonderful thing; it fills our minds with dreams<\/strong> and hopes<\/strong>, but … it does not actually exist, it\u2019s an illusion and if we linger there too long it will distract us from the only really important time to act: now<\/strong>!<\/p>\n

If we focus too much of our energy on what could or might be, we risk losing the wealth of opportunities that the present<\/strong> can offer.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

 <\/p>\n

Dreaming\u00a0 and imagining the future is very like undertaking a journey by looking at pictures taken from the Internet: they may seem exciting but you are missing the sounds, colours and scents you would experience by living the moment. Anticipating<\/strong> and planning<\/strong> your future too carefully removes the flavour of life, distracting you from signals<\/strong>, coincidences<\/strong> and those impromptu moments that conceal precious lessons and magical encounters. So do not sacrifice today for a reward<\/strong> that you may receive at some distant time in the future, because in doing so you risk wasting your life, as well as the passion<\/strong> and energy<\/strong> you need to achieve concrete results.<\/p>\n

Dedicated to the present<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"alice-nuova\"<\/a>Although past and future are not real, they wield power inside our heads and guide our internal dialogue<\/strong>, the flurry of thoughts that distract us from the \u201chere and now\u201d. How can we fully live in the present<\/strong>? We have to \u201cget out of our head<\/strong>\u201d and exploit our senses<\/strong>. For example, in the workplace make the effort to observe your customers and colleagues as though you were seeing them<\/strong> for the first time; pay attention to the environment in which you live and be amazed by the sounds that have always surrounded<\/strong> you but were experienced as mere background noise. During meals with your family actually smell the food before you taste it and then enjoy the flavour<\/strong> and texture as if you were discovering the ancient traditions<\/strong> of an unknown culture: your own.<\/p>\n

Take a fresh look out of the window of your home, with the curiosity and wonder of a child, observe the view offered at this point of your journey with gratitude<\/strong> and trust<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

 <\/p>\n

In the course of 2017 let\u2019s try to learn something new about ourselves by getting out of the \u201ccomfy chair\u201d that is handy for dwelling on the past<\/strong> or daydreaming about the future<\/strong>, but useless if we are hoping to find the brilliant idea<\/em> that will change our lives for the better. Rather we should start laying the groundwork for that idea<\/em>, using the present<\/strong> for \u201cdoing\u201d, perhaps firstly making mistakes, but then correcting our course.<\/p>\n

To wish you a Merry Xmas and Happy New Year<\/strong>, we will take a beautiful saying from the film Kung Fu Panda when the Master Oogway<\/em> explains to his pupil Po:<\/em><\/p>\n

Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

That is why it is called the present<\/strong>.\u201d\u00a0 We wish that you may also live the present<\/strong> intensely, like a gift to yourself and to others. For our part, we sincerely thank you for being part of our 2016, for staying with us through 2017 but above all for taking time once again to focus on the here and now <\/em>by reading the last article of the year: the blog Diario di un Consulente<\/em> is going on vacation, so we\u2019ll see you on January 9<\/strong> with the first article of the new season<\/strong>. In the meantime, should you wish to do so, you can continue following us on our Facebook <\/strong>page<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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