Seneca noticed that we suffer more in imagination than in reality. The mind runs ahead, building disasters that mostly never come, and we live through them anyway, again and again, for free. He wasn't dismissing real danger. He was pointing out how much of our dread is rehearsal for things that won't happen. Today's actual load is usually lighter than the one your mind has stacked from tomorrow's maybes. When you find yourself bracing for a catastrophe, you can gently ask: is this happening, or am I borrowing it? Most of the time you're borrowing. You can hand it back. Today, when worry sprints ahead, bring yourself back to what is actually true and present this hour.

Inspired by the old idea of present moment. Written by Ugo Charles.