NOW is the only thing we have
“The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, nor to worry about the future, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly.” Buddha
I’ve been fortunate in not suffering from severe anxiety or depression throughout my life, but I’ve had bouts of despair and periods of feeling miserable and nervous. Focusing on the present moment and trying to be fully aware of where I am and what I am doing right now has been one of the things that have helped me through these difficult times.
I’ve learned that focusing on the current moment helps to break free from the tales we keep telling ourselves about who we are, what we’re worth, and what we need to do to be wonderful people in the future. The only thing that matters is what we’re doing and what we’re working on right now. Nothing else has such a real huge impact on our lives except the present moment.
Returning to the present can be accomplished in a variety of ways. You can experiment with a few of them to find which one(s) works best for you. At the time, my top three choices are:
1. Focus on your breath
Take a deep breath. Meditate. Download the Insight Timer app which is full of various practices, different courses for beginners as well as advanced meditators, yogis, and breathers. And you can use it for free!
2. Feel the world around you
Feel the material of your clothing and pay attention to how it feels. To connect with the present, you can, for example, use the midday sun or rain. Simply pause and explore how it feels on your skin.
3. Embrace what’s bothering you
Rather than denying or avoiding what bothers you, walk toward it. Embrace it, write it down, consider if there are any small steps you can take to improve it. And if not, it’s okay, life comes in all colors. Embracing it, accepting it will teach you to live with it. Life goes on, so do you.
4. Choose vibes of those who are present
Just like you can pick up positivity or enthusiasm from people, you can also seek people who are present. Talk to them, understand their perspective, learn their practices and pick up their vibes.
Let’s see what we get while living at the present:
1. Stress release
There is an inner calmness and wholeness when you are present. You regain your composure. If you feel anxious during the day, take a few deep belly breaths and focus on them for a minute or two.
2. Openness
This is possibly the most important advantage. Being present removes the labels you place on people and things, allowing you to observe and experience things without prejudice.
3. Playfulness
You may notice a sense of fun as you become more aware of your surroundings. This makes it simpler to get things done. When you look at things from a fun perspective, they become less of an internal fight. You let go of your heavy overthinking mind.
4. You appreciate things more
One of the major benefits of becoming more present in your daily life is that you spend less time analyzing and classifying things and people around you. Freeing your mind from judging allows space for noticing more beauty in little things.
Living in the present moment is like noticing every breath you take. We, humans, drown in the non-existent past or jump to an unknown future in the materialistic world of needs and pleasures. That’s what screws most people, life in the dreams of the past or the future, but never the present moment. Choose to work on your present moment. Life is a vast and wonderful mystery, and the only thing we can be certain of is what we have right now. It’s not to be missed.
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We practice living in the present moment in the Self Mentoring Guide along with other topics like embracing failure, taking responsibility, embracing change, trusting your instincts, working on the trustworthiness of yourself and others along with many more topics. Check it out.
