Do you ever wonder what the future holds? I do. Yes, we are suppose to live in the moment according to many wisdom teachings. As a student of yoga for over seven years, experiencing the now is a key precept. In fact, some of the yoga asanas (poses) make it very difficult not to be in the present. There are even occasions when you wish you were somewhere else. (Since my yoga instructor may read this article, I must provide the disclaimer that that situation only occurs occasionally.) But I digress.

One of the purposes of being in the present is to enjoy the only time you truly have. The past is past, and the future is not here. No amount of worrying will change what has occurred and likely will not impact what will occur. How often have you worried and worried about something and found that all that energy had been wasted? To paraphrase a quote I once heard, many spend 90% of their lives worrying about things that never happen.

Today's newscasters do a wonderful job of improving our stress levels by prognosticating worst-case scenarios. Perhaps some of the worst violators are the weather forecasters. During our winters in Ohio, there are days when the predictions are so nefarious, one fears going out into the cold unless immediate death occurs as you are frozen like Lott's wife in your tracks. But alas, I still often wonder what the future has in store. Thus, I decided I would take a look. Here is what I discovered. I own a calendar with spiritual quotes that you pull the page off daily. I went to December 31, 2006, and here is what it said, "darkness wrapped in darkness: this, the end of every quest" by Shih-shu. So much for my peek into the future! I will stick with the present.

Bob Casey is a poet, writer, educator, speaker, and presenter. He has cycled, hiked, sailed, and traveled to many far off destinations. He also spent a year on a teaching Fulbright in New Zealand. His many interests, include yoga, Tai Chi, skiing, cycling, photography, and wine collecting.