[s1artibartfast]

>It's true that this is also the person you are, but that distinction seems meaningless if you're trying to become someone better (whatever better means to you)

Do, or do not. There is no try.

This is a meaningful distinction, even if it is a nuanced one. There's a profound difference between focusing on who you want to be tomorrow versus who you want to be today.

One mindset takes you out of the present and is an act of self denial. The other embraces the present and affirms positive self identity.

[stjohnswarts]

Another mindset that gets overused is "always live in the now" . Sometimes you have to stop and assess what direction you're heading with in life...

[s1artibartfast]

It's sad that the idea of living in the now has been co-oped to mean acting impulsively and stupidity.

Being present has better connotations. Sometimes being present means stopping and assessing your life. It means engaging with your life in more holistic manner. It can mean planning, reflection, and listening to yourself.

I feel like many people code switch between being recklessly impulsive and intellectually abstract, while never actually living in the now.

These two avoidant behaviors are at the root most people's miseries.

You shouldn't have to fight yourself to do what is best for your future, or suppress your intellect to enjoy the present.