Life exists in the present and in the present alone. We may bring the past or future into existence by thoughts, attitudes or expressions, but we live in the present.
To a greater or lesser extent, we flavour or sour our immediate experiences with memories or wishful thinking, and the proportion of the future or past ingredient determines the energy available for the present.

Although we are physically rooted in the present, our minds may take us on a time journey in either direction. Our psychic make-up determines whether we are mentally looking over our shoulder or craning our necks towards the future. Gurdieff wrote : "How shattering during a war to view a truck loaded up with crutches on its way to a military hospital - crutches for limbs that had not been blown off yet".

There are people who are always anticipating the destination and ignoring the journey. The present is swallowed up as a passing phase and the mind is absorbed by what is in store. These anticipators live in a fantasy world of expectations, hopes and dreams. Some anticipators are future worriers and act as if stranded on a stepping stone in a stream believing they will fall in if they move.

Any suggestion concerning the future is met with repeated phrases beginning with "What if". Their ability to create disasters out of nothing rivals the creativity of great artists, but always with negative outcome. As they are constantly worried about things that are yet to happen the energy left for the present is reduced.

Brian Roet