Lao Tzu’s Wisdom on Stress: Living in the Present

Lao Tzu, the Chinese philosopher from the 6th century, beautifully explains the root causes of stress and prescribes a remedy in his famous quote:“If you are depressed, you are living in the past. If you are anxious, you are living in the future. If you are at peace, you are living in the present.”

Let us reflect on our lives and analyze why we often find ourselves in stressful situations, filled with fear, and unable to embrace happiness in the present moment.

If you carefully analyze, you will notice that most of your problems are rooted in the past—events that went wrong, mistakes you made, or regrets about not making different choices. You might think, “If only I had done this, my present would have been different.”

This is exactly what Lao Tzu pointed out. Depression stems from dwelling on past mistakes and being unwilling to accept them. The truth is, you cannot change the events of the past. What you can do is learn from those experiences and use that knowledge to improve your present.

One of the major flaws of human nature is our tendency to overlook the good in the present moment. We constantly bind ourselves to pain by endlessly reliving the past. To live a happy and fulfilling life, the first step is to close the chapter on the past. Accept that what has happened, has happened. You don’t have a time machine, so you ca

Similarly, many of us worry excessively about the future:“What will happen? Will I achieve my goals? Will I earn enough? What if I don’t get good marks?”

This is what Lao Tzu referred to when he said that anxiety arises from thinking about the future.

Now, let me ask you: How is the future created?Does a miracle occur to shape your future? Does an angel descend to make your dreams come true? The answer is no. Your future is the destination, and your daily actions are the journey that takes you there.

For example, if you want to score 90% in your exams, constantly worrying about it will only create unnecessary trouble. Instead, focus on smaller, manageable parts of your syllabus each day. Remind yourself that completing today’s task is a step toward achieving your goal.

The biggest benefit of living in the present is that your chances of achieving future goals increase significantly—by 20-30%—because you focus on productive action. Moreover, you will feel happier because you’ll have accomplished something today, boosting your confidence and self-esteem.

So, starting today, let go of the past and future. Focus solely on your daily tasks and live in happiness.