I'm coming to think that only presence matters. That there is, ultimately, no right or wrong action, no right or wrong decision: only good or bad reasons to act.
But what does it mean, exactly, to "be in the present"?
Physically, of course, we can't be anywhere else. No one has yet set foot in the past or the future. So technically, we're all "in the present." But we can be in the present without being "in the flow" of the present.
Being in the flow of the present means receiving and allowing ourselves to be transformed by what happens at each moment.
When all goes well, events, sensations, and thoughts arise, run their course, then disappear. This short cycle allows us to be constantly open to what arrives here and now. We can receive the next ray of sunshine, the next idea, or the next conversation because we haven't remained stuck on the previous content. Everything constantly renews itself in interaction with the context.
Yet often, we get stuck.
We "cling" to an idea, a thought, or an anxiety that, consciously or unconsciously, we loop endlessly. This vortex occupies all mental space: the rays of sunshine and the next conversations are blocked outside. The present continues to unfold but we no longer take it into account; we no longer allow ourselves to be transformed by what arrives. We are "stuck" at the point in the past where the thought we're maintaining was formed.
Buddhists call this an attachment.
I am "attached" to mental content like a boat would be tied to the shore. The result is the same: I am no longer carried by the flow of the current.
A few examples of attachment. One: I need to get to a certain place for a certain reason. The journey is just an unimportant transition period between me and my goal. Any event that delays me is an obstacle. I'm too attached to the destination to be open to what's happening. Two: I've decided to say something specific to someone. The conversation is just a necessary passage to trigger the reaction I want. I'm too attached to the outcome of the exchange to be open to the human being in front of me. Three: I've decided that a certain event must happen in a certain way. Any deviation from my predictions is a failure. I'm too attached to my vision to be open to what's actually happening—including the good surprises.
In each case, I favor the idea over reality; I'm too attached to my mental construction to receive—and therefore compose with and benefit from—what actually occurs.
Now, I'm coming to think that nothing is more important than being in this flow of the present. It's surely more important than the action itself.
By that, I mean it's impossible to judge the quality of an action without real presence. If I'm stuck in a mental space that isn't being updated, all the indicators I look at to make my decisions are outdated. I'm reacting to a vision of the world constructed in the past rather than the one manifesting before me.
Conversely, when I'm in the flow, there's no longer a decision to make. The gesture, like a reflex, adapts to the situation. There's no longer a right or wrong decision. Only action.
Thus, my role is not to think intellectually about what should be done, nor to seek the ideal solution. It doesn't exist. My role is to gently untie, one by one, each attachment I encounter. Then let the current do its work.
UPDATE: If you have doubts, here's a nice confirmation by Francis Sanzaro in this New York Times article. For English speakers.