Living In The Moment
Today’s reflection is about something we often miss. We rarely appreciate what we already have. There is a saying that when a fish is taken out of the water, only then does it realize the value of the water it lived in. In the same way, we often fail to value people, experiences, and blessings while they are still part of our lives. Only when they are gone do we suddenly realize what they meant to us. By then, it is often too late.
This happens because we are not truly present. When we are not living consciously in the moment, we can become forgetful and take everything for granted. Subsequently we become ungrateful. When we are living in the present, we naturally appreciate what we have. We live in the moment instead of regretting the past or worrying about the future.
Many of us have experienced this when someone passes away. After their death, people speak about how wonderful they were, how important they were, how much they meant. Yet, when that person was alive, appreciation was rarely expressed.
So, what do we need to do? We need to practice gratitude. Gratitude and appreciation should not only be for our loved ones, but also for everyone and everything in our life. Every experience we have, whether good or bad, has value. Even difficult experiences carry lessons, and we should be grateful for the awareness and understanding that those experiences brought into our lives. This is something we must remain conscious and vigilant about, especially if we are working toward being present.
Understanding The Spiritual Message
When we read figures like Rumi, Attar, or Saadi, we need to understand that some of their work has two sides. One side reflects the culture and conditions of the time they lived in, just like ours, were shaped by the society influences. The other side is spiritual, which comes from the heart, from a place that is not influenced by culture or their individual conditioning.
People often take the writing of these poets or saints and judge them by today’s standards, then dismiss part of the message. This is because they approach these writings with the mind rather than the heart. Criticism is easy, especially for those who lack an interest in spirituality. They pick out what they disagree with and ignore the deeper intention.
This also happens with the life of spiritual people. The critics judge them from their own perception, which is based on their own conditioning and culture. This leads to arrogance and blinds them to see the truth of the message. When you read spiritual writings, one needs to have a spiritual experience to distinguish the voice of the heart.
How We Don’t See Love
Shadow work is about looking within, facing the parts of ourselves we’d rather ignore. But often we don’t go deep enough. We have a perception of what others did to us instead of understanding what lies beneath those experiences. For example, many young people today criticize their parents — “My parents didn’t do this,” or “They should have done that.” Yet when they become parents themselves, they often realize how hard it really is. We forget that our parents might not have learned how to express their love in the way we expect it, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t love us. Love isn’t always shown in words; sometimes it’s hidden in action, in sacrifice. Imagine your child gives you a little gift — maybe their own toy wrapped in torn paper, half sticking out. You don’t see the imperfect wrapping; you see the love behind it. That’s how we should see our parents — imperfect in their giving, but full of love, nonetheless. And if they hadn’t cared, we wouldn’t have made it to adulthood. They must have gone through struggle and pain to give us a better life, but we forget, because we focus only on our own perception. Sometimes people shout, get angry, or act harshly — not because they don’t care, but because that’s the only way they know how to express their concern. Their nervous system, their upbringing, all shape how they show love.
It’s the same in relationships. We often expect love to look a certain way — the way we show it. But if our partner expresses it differently, we start feeling unloved. And that’s where resentment builds. We forget that people give love in the way they were taught to. So it’s important to be mindful. We all carry conditioning, small resentments, unspoken hurts — and they manifest in how we relate to others.
Be Truly Present
In the Sufi way we talk about our relationship with God — that deep awareness and connection that goes beyond just belief, and what it means to be truly present and in awe of His divine presence. If you look closely, similar teachings appear in other faiths too. For example, in the Bible, Matthew 6:33 says, “Put God first in your life and try to do what is right, and God will take care of everything else you need.” So, the message is universal: put God at the centre of your life. But the problem is, for most of us, God becomes secondary. We say we’re striving toward the eternal, but our focus gets scattered. We need to realign, to remember what truly matters. Many people wait for a saviour, someone to come and fix everything. But if you’re waiting for someone else to save you, what’s your purpose in this life? Why were you created? We need to look at our own experiences, reflecting on them. Because desire, though it looks like freedom, often becomes a cage. The desire to have more, to be more — it traps us, while deluding us to feel like we’re flying free.
Giving Not Out Of Abundance, But Out Of Compassion
A couple once went to a restaurant. They hadn’t been paid yet, so they told the waitress, “Please recommend the cheapest dish you have. We just want to share a meal together.”
The waitress served them kindly, and they enjoyed their food, surprised by how good it was. When they asked for the bill, she came back and said, “Your bill has been paid — and here’s an additional hundred pounds. Please enjoy the rest of your day.” They were overwhelmed. What they didn’t know was that this waitress herself was struggling. Her washing machine had broken, and she was washing clothes by hand, trying to save up for a new one. When her best friend heard what she’d done, she scolded her: “You’re crazy! You need that money more than they do!” The waitress began to doubt herself — until a few days later, her mother called and said, “Look at Facebook — that couple has posted about your kindness. Everyone’s talking about you.” Soon, people started reaching out — shops, charities, even strangers. One supermarket gifted her a new washing machine. Donations poured in. By the end of it all, she had received around a hundred thousand pounds — all because of one act of generosity. When asked about it, she said something beautiful: “Generosity isn’t about giving when you have extra. It’s about giving even when you yourself are in need.” And that’s the essence of divine love, isn’t it? Giving not out of abundance, but out of compassion.
Real Wealth Is Peace
The quieter we become, the more we can actually hear. Guidance, understanding, intuition — they all come through silence. Meditation helps, yes, but so does just being quieter in daily life. Talking less, reacting less — it creates space for peace. We often believe that more wealth and possessions create more happiness, and therefore this will in turn bring us more peace. But real wealth is peace. And that’s something that’s become so rare these days. We are also constantly chasing happiness, thinking it’s something to be found — but happiness isn’t found, it’s created. It’s built from small daily moments — from gratitude, kindness, and just being fully present.
The story of the fox who lost his tail.
There was once a fox who lost his tail. He came back in pain, and all the other foxes laughed at him.
To hide his shame, he said, “Actually, I feel lighter now. Happier without it.”
Other foxes started cutting off their tails too — just to fit in.
And soon, the tailless foxes became the majority.
That’s what happens when lies spread — they start to look like truth.
And the few who stay honest get mocked for being different.
The foxes were just cutting off their tail to fit in. Many of us are easily deceived, just like the foxes.
So, maybe it’s time to ask ourselves: Are we just following the foxes?