Living the Moment
Living the moment, is that a reality? Well the truth is that is totally up to us, but the problem is how? Is so easy to get overwhelmed with the everyday to do lists, but really are we allowing ourselves to take a moment to breath, or we rather chose to live our days finding excuses of why we do not? We live in a world with too many distractions, superficial materialism and working too hard trying to fit in while not understanding life is happening NOW. So often we let the present slip away as we worry about the future, when we are at work we think about our next vacation, and when we are on vacation we are stressed for what will await for us at work. Living the present moment is learning to practice mindfulness. Here a couple of things to kick you start practicing mindfulness:
If you want to avoid worrying about what is coming next, simply focus on your present! That could be while taking a shower, drinking your coffee, taking a walk, watching your children play, admiring your love one. Enjoy and feel how the warm water nourishes your muscles and cleanses your skin, taste every sip of your coffee and get involved with the flavors, breath the air while you walk and smile to people, to the trees to your environment, feel the love, and while you are enjoying the moment, do not interrupt it to look at your phone! What you are doing is creating awareness on your senses, your mind, your body.
There is no better way of bringing yourself to the present moment than to focus on your breathing, so breath! Breath consciously, isn’t it amazing we are always breathing? But we take it for granted. Schedule yourself time at work to focus on your breathing, put attention on your breathing while you eat or before you go to bed, be grateful an fill yourself with pure happiness for breathing and having your life.
We are so deeply committed to schedules! Choose to lose track of time sometime! Allow yourself moments to enjoy what you like most without having to worry about time. Meet with a friend without plans and go with the flow, book yourself a spa day, go hiking, anything that makes you want to experience every second.
Recognize your emotions and deal with them rather than running away, the solution is acceptance, since the present moment can be only as it is, whatever it is remind yourself it is ok and there is always a reason to feel that way.
Mindfulness isn’t a goal, because goals focus on the future. That doesn’t mean we should not have goals or wish for a future, that is important too, but is about finding the balance, that is why mindfulness is a practice. One of my favorite quotes says “The past is behind learn from it. The future is ahead prepare for it. The present is here, live it”. Mindfulness is to set your intention of paying attention to what is happening at the present moment, and making this choice is how you will be living the moment.