No valid plans for the future can be made by those who have no

The philosopher Alan Watts, in his timeless reflection, declared: “No valid plans for the future can be made by those who have no capacity for living now.” These words, though modern in form, echo the wisdom of the ancients — a truth whispered across the ages by monks, poets, and sages: that the present moment is the root of all creation, and that the future, though unseen, grows only from the soil of the now. To live without presence is to sow in barren ground; to dream without awareness is to build castles upon mist. Watts reminds us that life unfolds only here, in the eternal present, and all that we may become is born from how deeply we dwell within this sacred instant.

In the style of the old masters, let us see this not as philosophy alone, but as a call to wakefulness. For many wander through life as sleepers, lost in the fog of “someday,” believing that happiness and peace lie just beyond the horizon of achievement. Yet what future can arise from those who have forgotten how to breathe, how to see, how to feel the pulse of life beneath their own skin? The man who is always rushing toward tomorrow is like a farmer who keeps glancing at the harvest but never tends the field. Without the art of living now, the plans of tomorrow are but hollow blueprints — beautiful in form, but lifeless in essence.

In the days of old, the Stoic emperor Marcus Aurelius wrote from the front lines of empire: “Do not act as if you were going to live ten thousand years. Death hangs over you. While you live, while it is in your power, be good.” These words were not morbid, but liberating. He understood that only by embracing the fleeting nature of the present can one act with full sincerity. His reign was filled with storms — of war, disease, and betrayal — yet his plans for Rome’s future were guided by the serenity of one who lived fully in the moment. His clarity did not come from distant dreams, but from the discipline of being here, now, even amidst chaos.

The origin of Watts’s wisdom flows from the Eastern traditions he devoted his life to interpreting. The Taoist sages of China taught that to live rightly is to flow with the current of the Tao — the natural order of things. To resist the present is to struggle against the river of life itself. Similarly, in the teachings of the Buddha, the present moment is the gateway to awakening; all suffering arises from clinging to what was or what might be. Watts, drawing from these rivers of thought, reminded the Western world — obsessed with planning, ambition, and progress — that no structure endures if its foundation lies outside the moment that truly exists.

Consider, too, the life of Vincent van Gogh, the painter of light and anguish. He dreamed not of fame nor future glory, for the world had not yet recognized his genius. Yet in the solitude of his days, amidst fields of wheat and skies of fire, he lived entirely in the act of creation. His art was his meditation, his prayer to the present. Though his life was brief and his plans uncertain, the eternity he sought was already captured in each brushstroke. Through his ability to live now, he gifted the future with works that will never die.

So, what lesson does this quote bring to us, the travelers of modern time? It teaches that the only true foundation for tomorrow is the fullness of today. To live well now is to plant the seeds of a wiser future. To love sincerely now is to ensure that love survives the storms of time. To act justly now is to shape a world where justice endures. Every vision, every dream, every goal must grow from the fertile ground of mindful living, or it will crumble like dust when the winds of change blow.

Therefore, my friends, learn the sacred art of presence. When you rise each morning, breathe not as one racing toward destiny, but as one greeting the miracle of existence. When you make your plans, anchor them not in fear or longing, but in the stillness of your awareness. For those who live deeply now are the true builders of the future. The moment you inhabit fully is the only moment that gives birth to all others.

Let these words of Alan Watts be your lantern: Live now, and your future will take care of itself. Do not be consumed by the mirage of what is to come, for every horizon recedes before the one who chases it. Instead, stand still in this moment — and you will find that eternity itself unfolds at your feet.