Setting your Mind to the Present
I often wonder how much of my life has been spent sifting through the past or fearing the future. In fact, most of my thoughts have been wasted on why the past is the way it is and how the future could “save” me. The biggest problem with this line of thinking is that it constantly pulls you away from the present and what is possible at this very moment.
Stop for a second and try to pull yourself into the now. It’s easy to start, but hard to continue.
The entrenched idea of worry is often at the heart of veering from the present. It’s hard to focus on what’s in front of you when you have all these fears of “what if” eating away at you. And at the heart of my worries are usually trust. By that, I mean the ability to trust that I can overcome whatever challenges I have gone through and whatever obstacles may come.
But this year as I listened to the direction of my heart and where it was calling me to go, I began to set my mind to the very moment I was living in. Each time I would trail off to what ifs about my ability, I reminded myself what my heart was telling me and stuck to what was at hand. Slowly, my thoughts started to organize around my goals for my life and each time I stuck to the present and pushed past another goal I became more and more aware that I was worth living a better life.
When you engage each moment, you’re truly living. And when you live each moment, there’s no time for your haunted past or imaginary future.
I can’t begin to tell you the peace I have in my mind from the daily practice of focusing on the now. I understand things better. I worry less and I cherish the life I have been given. Even more than that, I have started to experience the greatest gift you could ever give to the mind: Peace and Quiet.
But it doesn’t stop there. Every day that I work towards my goals I get excited about what’s in store for me without ever devolving into worst case scenarios. And as I set my mind to the task of getting healthy, I worry so much less about how hard the exercise is or if I will ever make it through another day of healthy eating.
That doesn’t mean the past and future never steal my focus. I’m still human and they still occupy my mind at certain points. There are some days I still want to give up. But that’s when I remind myself of this:
No amount of healthy living will remove anxiety or fear completely. It simply gives you the tools to recognize and minimize it.
Don’t take my word for it. Start your day with the intention of living fully present in every moment. When thoughts come up that tend to consume you, remind yourself of the traps they try to set and refocus your mind to the very moment your in.
It’s not a magic potion. Like anything, it’s a muscle. Build it up and it will eventually give you the strength to actually live the life you want RIGHT NOW, rather than in your dreams.
I have faith in you. It works. I have seen it with my own eyes. We merely need to have faith in ourselves.
