Why did I name this website “Moments of Now”? Well, over the past 50 years, I’ve come to a conclusion that I consider—both personally and professionally—to be the most important one of all. It’s relevant in every situation and at every moment. For me, it has been the key to a fulfilling and successful life.
That brief moment—those few seconds—we call the present determines everything. Trivial? Not at all! If that were obvious, most people wouldn’t complain about their past or wish to return to it. If that were obvious, they wouldn’t hope for a better future or for their wishes to come true. And if their wishes did come true—which is rather unlikely—how would they handle it?
So what exactly should we do? There is, of course, a solution. Is it easy? No. Is it hard work? Yes. Does it work? You bet!
For me, there are four steps, all of which I explore in more detail on this website:
- Accepting reality
The most important—and perhaps the most painful—realization: In the end, reality always wins out. So it helps immensely when I align my decisions and my actions with reality.
But before that, there is an even more fundamental question: What is reality? That is something I can and must figure out for myself. We’ve had methods for doing so since the Enlightenment. Kant explains it to us. - Practice and self-discipline
The first step may have been painful, but it’s only temporary. Once you understand the principle, all you have to do is act on it. But this is where it really starts to get tough.
If you’re not used to it, it takes a lot of energy and self-discipline not to keep spending your present time daydreaming. This happens even to people who seem to have both feet firmly on the ground. I’ve seen highly paid managers who kept slipping into daydreams or wishful thinking instead of seizing the moment to achieve realistic results. Fortunately, there are very concrete methods for staying in the present and making the most of reality. - Learning from examples
Photography is the perfect opportunity to train my focus on the present moment, on the one hand, and to force myself to generalize what I’m seeing right now, on the other. It also gives me the chance to share concrete examples of living in the present with others. - Facing criticism
A great method in science—indeed, in any kind of progress—is to subject one’s own ideas to the scrutiny of others. It is only through critical examination that we make progress. Is that pleasant? No, because it hurts our pride. Does it lead to success? Absolutely, because it provides reality checks that I may have overlooked or ignored. It helps me succeed alongside reality.
Now is always the best time.
Because all we have is now!
Everyone knows we only live once. But what does life consist of? From the moments of the present. Nothing can bring back the past. We cannot act in the future. Everything happens during the 3 to 5 seconds we are aware of, which makes up the present. So we only have these 3 seconds to live on.
The only thing we really have is the present. It encourages us to act consciously in the here and now. It is an invitation to live life to the fullest and to take advantage of the opportunities that are currently available to us.
The photos on this website aim to capture moments of present. They want to encourage you to think about the meaning of the present for everything that is to come. In contrast to painting, photography forces us to concentrate on the present and reality. A painter can create images of past or future that only spring from his imagination and fantasy. The camera, on the other hand, can only record what is actually happening. Photography can therefore help us to face reality and be aware of the transience of the moment. Reality does not mean that we have to limit ourselves to sobriety. Reality is everything that makes up life: feelings and rationality, pleasures and creations, dreams and goals.
Learn more about the cognitive aspects of time perception and how we can use this to ensure that the future brings what we strive for. And that when we have achieved something in this way, we consciously celebrate what we have achieved.
Heinrich Villiger
Please use the comment section below to offer your feedback on my thoughts. Of course, you’re also welcome to agree 😉
