The Precious Present

Spencer Johnson

Once there was a small boy

Who listened to an old man who said “it is a gift,” receive it and be happy forever.

Boy said, “I hope I will receive it one day, and went off to play.”

Old man watched the boy play – he was happy. Watched him work and whistle while he worked.

When the boy thought about the man, he thought he understood about the present – had a bicycle, toys, a scout knife, and Christmas gifts. But none of these gave him joy forever.

What will make me happy forever? Returned to the old man to ask. He asked:

• Is the gift a magical ring that I can wish whatever I want? (not wishing)

• Is it a magic carpet? (No, you will be content wherever you are.)

• Is it a sunken treasure? (No. The treasure is the gift itself.)

The young boy became frustrated! You told me that whoever has it will be happy forever and I have never received such a gift. Old man said, “You don’t understand.”

• You already know what it is.

• You know where to find it.

• You know how it can make you happy.

• You knew it best when you were a child ‚Äì you have forgotten.

When the boy became a young man, he went away to think. Frustrated. Angry. “Why don’t you tell me?”

"And show you where to find it?", volleyed the old man. "I simply cannot do it. No one can. Only you know where it is and how to find it! The Precious present you must receive for yourself."

More than ever the young man was confused, but determined to find the present & receive it.

1. He packed his bags and went in search of the present. To No Avail.

2. Then he read all the books, the Wall Street Journal, the mirror, faces of others

3. He sought on – mountain tops, cold dark caves, dense, humid jungles, under sea

4. He searched until he was exhausted, didn’t know why, sometimes ill

He returned from his travels to talk again with the Old Man – he seemed happy, happy to be with him, but he did not have the things that make people happy??? Money, reputation, social position. It felt so good to be with him. Why? He left wondering.

After many years, the once young man returned to the Wisdom Figure. He was often ill, unhappy, and he needed to talk again with the old man. But the old man had grown all to old. And, he spoke no more. And, the boy, who was a young man, but now a grown man was afraid, terribly afraid and alone. He was afraid he would never find the Precious Present! The old man was dead. He finally accepted that he had to find it himself, noone could help him…

He tried to recall all that the old man had said to him:

1. The present has nothing to do with wishing.

2. When you have it you are perfectly content wherever you are.

3. Richness (Wealth) of the present comes from its own source.

4. The Present is not something another person gives you.

5. It is something you discover, receive, and give yourself.

The Unhappy man was tired of looking for the Precious Present. He was so weary that he stopped trying to find it.

AND THEN IT HAPPENED! He didn’t know why it happened or how it happened. It simply happened.

He realized that the Precious Present was simply that: THE PRESNT! Not the past and not the future, but THE PRECIOUS PRESENT.

In that moment the man was happy – he was in the precious present – he raised both hands and shouted with glee. He was happy for one moment – the present!

But just then the joy began to evaporate; the happiness left him. He began to ask, “Why didn’t I see this long ago? Why did it take me so long? In all his travels around the world, mountain tops and dark caves, he had lost so much time being happy. He had been to all the places and sought through all the opportunities and had not found it. He was sad.

Then he saw what he was doing. He observed his thoughts. HE WAS TRAPPED IN THE PAST. He had forfeited the precious present to embrace an unhappy past.

When he realized what he was doing, he returned to the present moment and he was happy again.

Then the man began to worry about the future. Will I be able to know the joy of living tomorrow? He saw he was living in the future and laughed at himself.

He listened to what he now knew, he heard the wisdom of his own voice:

• It is wise for me to think about the past & learn from it, but it is not wise to get stuck in the past, because that is how I lose myself and the Precious Present.

• It is wise for me to think about the future, to prepare for the future, but not to get stuck in the future because that is how I lose myself and the Precious Present.

• And, when I lose myself, I lose what is most precious to me.

IT IS ALL SO SIMPLE! The Precious Present is the Present! Here he was filled and nourished.

But the man who had found the Present knew it was not easy to be in the present. Learning to be in the present, he had to do over and over again until it was a part of him

Then he thought back about how happy he had been when he was with the Old Man. He was always so happy!

He was always present to him.

He did not wish to be somewhere else, doing something else. He was present.

He was fully present! He smiled at himself much like the old man used to.

I Can Choose to be happy now! Or

I can try to be happy when …. Or if……

He chose to be happy now. He was happy and at peace with himself. He decided to:

• He chose to savor each moment of his life ---seemingly good and bad

• Even if he didn‚Äôt understand, for the first time, it didn‚Äôt matter.

• He accepted each of the Precious moments on this plant as a gift.

I know that some receive the precious present when they are young, some when they get middle aged, some when they are old, and some never receive it. I choose to accept the precious present now again and again!

One day the man sat quietly in the sun thinking. He felt fortunate that

He was who he was! And He was where he was! And

He knew that he would always be who he was and where he was!

As he continued to think, it came to him,

“The Present is what is

“It is valuable even if I do not know why,

“It is already just the way it is supposed to be,

“When I see the present, accept the present, and live in the present

I am Happy! And I am well!

Pain is simply the difference between what is

And

What I want it to be.

When I feel guilty over my imperfect past,

Or am anxious over my kunknown future,

I do not live in the present,

I experience pain and make myself ill

And I am unhappy

As long as I continue to stay in the Present

I am Happy forever:

Because forever is always the present.

The present is simply

Who I am

Just the Way I am

Right now. And

It is precious.

I am precious!

I am the precious present!

As these thought flashed through his mind in the “Precious Present, ” it was once again like he was listening to the Old Man. Then he smiled, because he knew he was not listening to the old man but to himself because he had found the precious present. It was good for him to be with himself

He felt he knew enough.

He felt he had enough.

He felt he was enough.

NOW!

He had finally found the precious present and he was Happy Now!