Have you ever stopped to think about what time really is? We tend to live our lives as if there’s a past, present, and future—but what if that’s just a story we’re telling ourselves?
Let’s break this down.
Time as a Human Construct
What we call “time” is really just a way of measuring change. It’s the ticks of a clock, the movement of the sun, or the pages of a calendar flipping by.
But none of these things are inherently “time.” They’re just markers we’ve agreed upon to track change.
Beyond that, time is something we experience only in our minds. The past is nothing more than a memory, and the future is simply a projection. Neither one exists anywhere except in your head.
Albert Einstein famously said, “The distinction between the past, present, and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion.”
Think about that for a moment. If even the greatest scientific mind of our time understood time as an illusion, what does that say about how we’re living our lives?
Think about it: Have you ever experienced the past?
No.
What about the future?
Nope.
All you’ve ever known—all you can ever know—is the present moment.
Even when you’re remembering something or imagining what’s ahead, you’re doing it now.
Yes, you can remember the past, but when it first happened, it was now.
And if you stop to remember the past, you’re doing it now.
Everything is now.
The Reality of Now
This leads us to a profound realization: the Now is all there is.
Think about it—the past and the future are concepts we create in our minds.
The past is a collection of memories, often shaped by our perceptions and emotions.
The future? It’s nothing but a mental projection of what we think might happen.
Rupert Spira, a contemporary teacher of non-duality, puts it beautifully: “The now is not a moment in time. The now is the background of all experience.”
What he’s pointing to is the timeless awareness in which all experiences—past, present, and future—arise. That awareness is the real you, and it’s always present.
What’s fascinating is how much energy we spend on these illusions. We replay moments that have already happened, trying to rewrite them in our minds, or we fast-forward to a future that hasn’t arrived, filling it with anxiety or hope.
But here’s the truth: neither of these mental exercises changes the Now.
Right now, as you’re reading this, you’re existing in the only moment that’s real.
Everything else is just a construct—a story your mind is telling you.
When you fully grasp this, it’s liberating. You no longer have to be weighed down by regrets about the past or worries about the future.
You can simply be present.
Ask Yourself These Questions
Have you ever experienced anything other than Now?
How many “Nows” have you experienced in your lifetime? Or even since you woke up this morning?
How fast is your “Now” experience moving through time?
Or, is it really “moving” at all?
How long does “Now” last?
Stopping to meditate on those questions should lead you to the profound realization that there is only one “Now” and it’s this one you’re experiencing in this moment. There are no other “Nows” to be experienced.
This “Now” you find yourself in isn’t one of many. There’s only this one.
Now is the only experience you have ever had…or will ever have.
Now doesn’t move through time because time is an illusion our brains invented to make sense of our limitations.
Why It Matters
So why does this matter? Because understanding the reality of Now changes how we live. It helps us stop wasting time on things we can’t control.
The past can’t be changed, and the future is always uncertain.
But the Now? That’s where life happens. That’s where we have power.
Living in the Now allows us to experience life more fully. It’s where we find joy, connection, and peace.
It’s where creativity flows and relationships deepen. When we’re fully present, we’re more alive.
The Takeaway
The idea that the past and future are constructs isn’t just a philosophical notion; it’s a call to action. It’s an invitation to stop living in the shadows of “what was” and “what might be” and instead embrace the reality of “what is.”
So, as you go about your day, remember this: the only time that exists is Now.
In this moment, you are free.
In this moment, you are alive.
This is your life, and it’s happening right now.
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Excited to announce the new weekly online course I’ll be co-hosting with artist/musician Angie Von Slaughter starting Wednesday, January 8th.
Are you a creative person who struggles to find new ideas? Or maybe you’ve got too many ideas but you just don’t know how to get started? This course is a Live Online Zoom call where we gather with other artists to explore creativity and share exercises and prompts to help us unlock our creativity together.
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The newest book from Keith Giles, “The Quantum Sayings of Jesus: Decoding the Lost Gospel of Thomas” is available now on Amazon. Order HERE>
Keith Giles is the best-selling author of the Jesus Un series. He has appeared on CNN, USA Today, BuzzFeed, and John Fugelsang’s “Tell Me Everything.”
He co-hosts The Heretic Happy Hour Podcast and his solo podcast, Second Cup With Keith which are both available on Spotify, Amazon, Apple, Podbean or wherever you find your podcast fix.
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