"The past, present and future are only illusions, even if stubborn ones."

Time is something we all think about. Our past, our present, our future—these are the things that make up the story of our lives. But what if I told you these aren't as concrete as we believe? The idea here is that time, as we understand it, isn't real in the way we usually think. It's kind of a trick our mind plays on us.

Think about it: the past is just a collection of memories, right? It doesn’t have any real substance except in our minds. The present is this fleeting moment that’s gone before you even realize it’s here. And the future? Well, it hasn't happened yet. It's all just a bunch of possibilities that may or may not come true.

This idea pops up in various philosophies and even in modern physics. Albert Einstein, the genius who gave us relativity, touched on this when he talked about time being an illusion. He meant that time isn’t this fixed thing, ticking away uniformly for everyone, everywhere. Instead, it’s relative—it can stretch and squeeze depending on your perspective.

Now, let’s bring this down to earth with a real-life example. Imagine you’ve got a big presentation at work. You’re nervous, you’re sweating bullets. You spend days obsessing over what might go wrong. But then the day comes, you give the presentation, and it’s over in a flash. Now, a week later, you barely remember the details. The future you worried about turned into the past quicker than you could say “PowerPoint.”

So how do we apply this idea that time is an illusion to our lives? Well, for starters, we can stop stressing so much about the past and the future. Worrying about what’s done or what’s to come doesn’t change a thing. Focus on the now because that’s the only “time” you can actually do something with.

Here’s some practical advice: next time you catch yourself worrying about something that happened or something that might happen, take a deep breath. Remind yourself that those worries are just thoughts—illusions. Focus on what you can do right now. Break things down into small steps and handle them one at a time.

Let me share a story with you. Imagine you’re an artist, painting a beautiful landscape. You’re so caught up in getting the details just right, thinking about how people will judge your work (future) and remembering that one time your art got criticized (past), that you forget to enjoy the actual painting process. But when you let go of those thoughts and just immerse yourself in the act of painting, you find joy and creativity flowing effortlessly. You’re in the moment, and that’s where the magic happens.

So, next time you find your mind drifting to the past or future, pull it back. Enjoy your coffee, feel the sun on your face, or dive into whatever task you’re doing. Remember, the only real moment is the one you're living in right now. The rest? Just a stubborn illusion.