Even though there were children climbing allover him as he spoke, he remained calm, serene and joyful. He had spent many years in prison, much of the time in solitary confinement. He explained that when he remembered the past and his family he would become unbearably upset with worry and loneliness. Thoughts of the future, more torture and not knowing if he would ever be free again, would terrify him and send him into despair. So he trained himself to stay focused in the present and became the serene peaceful man he is now.
I heard this story many years ago on a recording of one of Catherine Ingram's Satsang sessions and it still inspires my intention to practice presence.