3 Mental Models to grasp what 'being mindful' means

"Be present" is an overused spirituality advice. It's not bad advice. Most of us have trouble being present. We are driven by desires for what we lack or fears of the future.

But, present is not all who we are. We are temporal beings, connecting past, present, and future. Our memories shape us, and our actions influence what lies ahead.

A funny nugget is that we can't observe the absolute present. Eh? What?

Everything we sense comes from the past. The starlight we see at night is from years ago, and the sunlight we perceive is from 8 minutes ago. Even the screen in front of you is from the past — just a very near one. We always sense echoes of events with a delay. Even touch is perceived with a delay. Have you ever burned your hand on a hot pan because you sensed its temperature too late?

Another funny nugget is that future is a simulation made from our past experiences

Death is the only inescapable unavoidable sure thing. We are sentenced to die the day we were born — Gary Gilmore

We all have heard different forms of this quote. But how are we so sure of death? Have we experienced it? We only know about death from others. We see and hear about humans like us dying, and we extrapolate that we will die too. One can't be blamed for reaching such conclusions. For all humans, death is an expectation, not a reality — an expectation formed from our past experiences and memories.

The future exists in a simulated world in our mind. It is not real in the tangible sense, but that doesn't mean it's not useful.

We always have one foot in the present and another in the future

The reason why we are not just our present is this: we respond to our reality with information from our near and distant past. In fact, we are forced to. We are in a constant flux of stimuli and response. This is how we connect the past to the future.

The Stride

Much like taking steps, one foot in the past and the next in the future, mindfulness means grounding yourself in the present. The foot behind provides traction, while the forward foot gives direction. To "be mindful" means to plant your foot firmly, sensing the ground while also watching where you are going before taking the next step. In contrast, "not being mindful" is like walking unaware on slippery grounds, toward unknown perils.

I like the simplicity of this model — We move, pushed forward by the past into a future that becomes clearer as it nears. We might have our eyes set on a distant destination, but all we can do is put one step forward at a time. Between the two legs in the space between past and future is our body supporting a head that constantly observes, analyzes and charts the path ahead.

The Game of Chess

Much like in modern chess, in life, not making a move means losing time and opportunity. "Being mindful" means being aware of your situation and acting with foresight. You make a move driven by urgency, knowing you must act with limited awareness and foresight, but excessive urgency can lead to neglecting the scenario and assessing the consequences of your move. In both chess and life, variables are nearly infinite, while time and attention are limited. This constraint is what makes the game worth playing.

I particularly love this model because of the rich vocabulary it brings to describe what happens in our lives. Much like a chess game, we have a limited amount of time, play in a limited amount of space, with complex rules and limited resources. To succeed, we must employ strategies, embrace the right approach, and continuously learn and improve.

Dominos

Much like falling dominoes, our past influences our future. The fallen pieces represent your past, and the piece currently falling is your present, feeling a sense of free will. Your future pieces haven't fallen yet — they might never fall. All you are sure of is the force of the pieces leaning on you and the sense of falling.

This model may seem bleak, suggesting we fall to death without true free will. However, this could very well be our reality. A model's success lies in shining lights from different angles. None might be the absolute truth, but all represent a truth.

Which model resonates with you the most? Do you have any similar models on top of your mind?