Kevin your post about the benefits of a positive mindset along with the link you provided is something that I HOPE people will take a serious interest in. I don’t think that there are a lot of people who have a negative mindset will associate that negative mindset with paralyzing their potential. For those people, blame is always the default to explain away their setbacks. One of the things I believe that are contributory to not reaching goals is a negative mindset. As I continue to strive to be more mindful, and I am forever learning exactly what that means, I try to capture the essence of being “present.” Being mindful and present as much as I possibly can be is key to my emotionally positive mindset. For years I assumed that I knew what being “mindful and present” was. For me, to be “present” means to be aware of the present, the “now.” I say that I assumed that I knew what being present meant until very recently. I recently read an article in a science journal talking about the present. What I read threw a wrench in the gears of what I believed, and I welcome that change with an open heart and soul. What I read was, the present lasts exactly 2.7 seconds in our perception. This is important for me to know because it makes me more aware, of how short of time we have in capturing the moment that we can use to be more positive, if any of this makes sense. It’s easier for me to explain in conversation. Anyway that 2.7 seconds made me more aware that anything after that, is gone, it’s the past, however recent. Those 2.7 seconds of our perception of the present allows me to be more mindful. I was on location when a documentary was made about Warren Zevon’s last moments alive. He said something so profound that I reflect on it every day. He said, “When we buy books to read, we think we buy the time to read them.” Reflecting on that is what made me read the fantastic article in the link you sent. There is no psychological utility in me obsessing on the past, although it does provide me with many valuable lessons, and as I always say, life is the classroom and experience is the teacher. I wholeheartedly agree with your post and look forward to many more thought provoking thoughts.

Pearce Hawk

Kevin,

With that 2.7 seconds being the time frame that our perception of the present, I believe that within that time frame there is a crazy amount of information that we don’t “perceive” because we attach ourselves to what appears beneficial to us, either by experience or a calculated risk, by what is more appealing at the time, consciously or unconsciously. As a result of that attachment, we are limited by not being “aware” or more open of other “things” in that short time frame. If that makes sense…

The reference that was used on this idea of 2.7 seconds…was taken from an article in the July 2017 issue of IDEAS and DISCOVERIES. This time frame was mentioned in an article called CAN TIME END? This article was mind-blowing to me.  As I am typing, I looked for the author of the article and could not find one. So I have drafted a letter to the editor asking to provide the name of the author so that I can read more about it.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 10 months ago by PearceHawk.