Learn to Live in the Present Moment
理查德 · 卡里 / Richard Carison
Practicing for Better Learning
First listen and then answer the questions.
1. We often say “Someday,I can succeed.”.Will the “someday” really happen according to the passage? Why?
2. What’s author’s opinion about “the present”and “the future”?
To a large degree, the measure of our peace of mind is determined by how much we are able to live in the present moment. Irrespective of what happened yesterday or last year, and what may or may not happen tomorrow, the present moment is where you are — always!
Without question, many of us have mastered the neurotic art of spending much of our lives worrying about a variety of things — all at once. We allow past problems and future concerns to dominate our present moments, so much so that we end up anxious, frustrated, depressed, and hopeless. On the flip side, we also postpone our gratification, our stated priorities, and our happiness, often convincing ourselves that “someday” will be better than today. Unfortunately, the same mental dynamics that tell us to look toward the future will only repeat themselves so that “someday” never actually arrives. John Lennon once said, “Life is what’s happening while we’re busy making other plans.” When we’re busy making “other plans”, our children are busy growing up, and people we love are moving away and dying, our bodies are getting out of shape, and our dreams are slipping away. In short, we miss out on life.
Many people live as if life were a dress rehearsal for some later date. It isn’t. In fact, no one has a guarantee that he or she will be here tomorrow. Now is the only time we have, and the only time that we have any control over. When our attention is in the present moment, we push fear from our minds. Fear is the concern over events that might happen in the future — we won’t have enough money, our children will get into trouble, we will get old and die, whatever.
To combat fear, the best strategy is to learn to bring your attention back to the present. Mark Twain said, “l have been through some terrible things in my life, some of which actually happened.” I don’t think I can say it any better. Practice keeping your attention on the here and now. Your efforts will pay great dividends.
在很大程度上，能否活在当下是衡量我们内心世界是否平和的一个标准。不论昨日或去年发生了什么，也不管将来会发生什么，此刻才是我们的真正所在——并且始终都是！
诚然，许多人把生命耗费在焦虑之中，我们同时对一连串的事情忧心忡忡，因此导致的神经过敏几乎成了一种我们熟稔的艺术。对过去的困惑和对未来的忧虑占据了我们当前的每时每刻。于是，我们整日忧心忡忡，灰心丧气，情绪低落，甚至悲观绝望。另一方面，我们不断推迟让自己获得满足感的时间，推迟应当优先考虑的事，推后自己的幸福感，并常用最有力的理由说服自己，“有一天”将会比今天更加美好。遗憾的是，如此期待未来的精神安慰只会周而复始地重复。所以，“有一天”永远都不会真正到来。约翰·列农曾经说过：“生活就是我们忙于制订其他计划时所发生的一切。”当我们正制订“其他的计划”时，孩子们正迅速地成长，爱人或离开或死亡。我们的身体开始变形，梦想开始消逝。总之，我们正在失去生活。
许多人沉迷于对未来的幻想中。对他们而言，现在的生活就像是未来生活的彩排。然而，生活绝非如此。事实上，任何人都不能保证自己明天仍存于世间。此刻是我们拥有的唯一时间，也是唯一能控制的时间。当我们的注意力集中于此刻时，就会将恐惧抛至脑后。恐惧是我们对未来可能发生之事的担忧——我们没有足够的钱，我们的孩子会陷入麻烦，我们会变老甚至死亡，等等。
战胜恐惧最好的策略是，学会将注意力转回当下。马克·吐温曾说：“我一生经历过许多恐怖的事，但有一些纯粹是偶然。”我想，没有比这说得更好的了。把你的注意力集中在当下，你的付出终将有硕果回报。
心灵小语
昨天的梦想需要今天的行动去实现，明天的谜底需要今天的行动去揭晓，生活只在今天。今天的我们才是存在的我们、今天的努力才是存在的努力、今天的改变才是存在的改变。让昨天的我们和明天的我们、让昨天的努力和明天的努力、让昨天的改变和明天的改变都统统属于今天吧。活在当下，感受属于我们最真实的存在。
Ace in the Hole
Keywords and expressions
allow
作动语：允许；给予；认可；容许；考虑
短语：allow for 考虑到，虑及
allow of 容许
例：I don’t think he would allow it.
我想他不会允许的。
Chunks in Practice
Listen to the following passage twice and then fill in the blanks with
appropriate words.
1. To a large degree, the measure of our peace of mind is _ by how much we are able to live in the _ . Irrespective of what happened yesterday or last year, and what may or may not happen _ , the present moment is where you are—always!
2. Fear is the _ events that might happen in the future—we won’t have enough money, our children will get into _ , we will get old and die, whatever.
Now a Try
Please fill in the blank with the proper words according to the given
sentences.
1. We _ obstacles in order to get repose.
为了获得歇息，我们与困难斗争。
2. Should America bomb Iran or _ Iran to get the bomb?
美国是应该轰炸伊朗还是让伊朗得到炸弹。
3. If so, does this _ defaults of some kind?
那么，这能为某种违约提供担保吗？
