There are times that we forget to live in the now and appreciate what is in front of us and around us. Rather, we focus too much on the future and what will happen and what won’t, all the while knowing that there is no control over life. The Beatles’ George Harrison touches up on this in today’s quote and talks about how important it is to stay in the present.
Quote of the day by George Harrison
“It’s being here now that’s important. There’s no past, and there’s no future. Time is a very misleading thing. All there is ever, is the now. We can gain experience from the past, but we can’t relive it; and we can hope for the future, but we don’t know if there is one.”This quote from Harrison was shared during his interview in the 1987 television documentary, ‘It Was Twenty Years Ago Today.’ The documentary was made to celebrate the group’s 20th anniversary for their album ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.’
What does the quote mean?
The lead guitarist of the Beatles said this quote to emphasize the importance of living in the current moment. He cites that “It’s being here now that’s important. There’s no past, and there’s no future”, reveling in the fact that all you need to care for is right now.The past is already gone, and there is nothing that you can do about it anymore. As for the future, while certain choices may dictate what happens next, it is still up to you to understand yourself and not put too much focus on what is about to happen, so that it prompts you to forget what you have right now.He adds, “time is a very misleading thing”, sharing that there will be moments when time will feel like it is moving fast, while other times it will feel that it is moving too slow; however, there is no difference. This again connects to the concept of being in the present moment. The only moment you can ever actually experience, breathe in, or act within is right now.He then concludes, “We can gain experience from the past, but we can’t relive it; and we can hope for the future, but we don’t know if there is one.” This means that the past is there to ensure that you learn from your mistakes and know what went wrong; however, you also remember that it is gone, it has already been done, and that learning is all you can take from it. Further on, he talks about the future, citing that the only thing to understand about the future is that you can hope it turns out in your way, you can only imagine for things to work out and be okay, however, you have no control over what will happen, even in the next millisecond.All in all, Harrison talks of a philosophy about how important it is to appreciate your present and the people and things in it. As the past is gone and you cannot do anything about the future, what is here, now, is the only thing that truly holds importance.
More about George Harrison
George Harrison was a famed musician, singer-songwriter, and music producer who achieved stardom as the lead guitarist of The Beatles. He was one of the most popular members of the group and was actively known for his on-stage presence.He joined the band when he was only 15 years old, in an era when rock and roll was still on the rise. He, however, brought his own rock version to the group’s music through his guitar riffs. Later on in his career, he was even credited with writing many of the group’s songs, including ‘Here Comes the Sun’, ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’, and ‘Something’, to name a few.Harrison was also big on music and spirituality, and later even discovered the sitar, an Indian musical instrument. He sought out maestro Ravi Shankar, and the two remained close friends for a long time, and even worked together over the course of their friendship.After the group split, Harrison came out with a triple album consisting of a lot of songs that were never released over the years. This project of his was called ‘All Things Must Pass’ and was labeled as one of his best works yet.He passed away in 2001, after being diagnosed with cancer. To this date, he is remembered by many fans across the world and is regarded as one of the most profound and talented artists of this century.
