Discover the beauty and importance of ‘Time’—a journey of mindfulness and self-awareness. Your present holds the answers to half of life’s challenges.
“It has been said that the great events of the world take place in the brain, and the brain only, where the great sins of the world take place also.” – Oscar Wilde
Are you really present in the ‘present’?
Human beings are more concerned with having or possessing than being or living. Have you ever found yourself entangled in the maze of relentless thoughts, where the mind tirelessly dissects, replays, and magnifies every possibility? Without a doubt, you have. Possibly, you are still struggling somewhere—catastrophizing, ruminating, and getting stuck in a loop. Ask yourself one question: Am I really present in the present moment?
We spend most of our time in that mind rather than in the reality in which we exist. There are always conflicts in the mind. Sometimes, a person’s own mind is the greatest obstacle they must overcome. No one really tells you how hard it is to rewire your mind to allow amazing things to happen after experiencing pain. A softer life exists when you take control of where your thoughts go.
Is time a fundamental part of the universe, or is it just how we measure change?
Searching for the real definition of time is an illusion; the moment you realize this, you have already let more of it slip away. A moment of bliss feels like a second, while a moment of pain stretches into eternity. Time exists, and yet, it remains elusive—scientifically structured yet poetically infinite.
When you are in distress, agony, or grief, you are probably thinking of something that has already happened in the past—rethinking decisions or reliving moments—something you can’t change. When you are anxious, you are probably thinking about your future, something that is completely uncertain to you. There is no past unless you think about it, and no future unless you contemplate it. The key to breaking free from this cycle is to focus on the present moment—where you truly hold the power to take action and choose to shape your own life. Instead of being trapped in endless loops of analysis, you gain clarity, confidence, and space for improvement or self-growth. Time is exactly what we make of it.
Conclusion
There is a saying by the great novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky: “The best way to keep a prisoner from escaping is to make sure he never knows he's in prison.” Sometimes, a prison doesn’t have bars, yet it has the full potential to make you feel trapped. The key to freedom lies in awareness—recognizing the constraints that hold you back and breaking free from them. Know what your prison is, for only then can you truly escape it.
Live in the moment—THIS PRESENT. You will never be able to value something until it is no longer in your control. You can neither change the past nor predict the future, so why waste time dwelling there? The power lies here, in this moment—in this present time. Overthinking creates imaginary problems and hinders mind mastery, but conscious actions create real solutions. Start working, not from tomorrow—start right now. The present is literally a present—a gift; embrace it.
Author:
Soumili Barman
B. Tech. Biotechnology, Third-Year Student
Dr. D. Y. Patil Biotechnology and Bioinformatics Institute,
Dr. D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, Tathawade, Pune
Edited by:
Dr. Viniti Vaidya
Dr. D. Y. Patil Biotechnology and Bioinformatics Institute,
Dr. D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, Tathawade, Pune