This instant is all we truly possess, and it is mysterious indeed. In some ways, right now does not even exist, though we might see it coming and remember it afterwards. And, of course, it is also the only real intersection where we can actively interact with the real world.
Some perceive it as if it were viewed from the future. How will whatever is done be judged tomorrow or in a few years? How can what is accomplished lead to better outcomes or choices then if they were not done? That is a valid and useful perspective.
Others perceive it as the result of a long line of past moments, good and bad. Some actions done or undone, some luck, some inevitabilities. This moment just another like all the others, to be handled as well as possible. That is also useful and valuable.
And then there is the nimbus of the moment itself, an infinite grid of worry, reflection, appreciation, and action. Trying to make the most of this magical instant which is life and consciousness. And, somehow, balancing that with all the other possibilities.
Confusingly, we bounce from one viewpoint to another, feeling more than only the moment, but knowing we are not. An odd situation, which is what being human really is.
HuntingtonHarborThoughts 