Are you held down by the past or concerned about the future? Would you like to learn ways to let go so you can be happy and care-free? Living for the moment involves being an active participant in your life. It means that you’re focused on whatever is happening right this moment. Why is this important?
What’s in the past is in the past. There’s nothing you can do to change it. You can coulda, shoulda, woulda all day long, but it still doesn’t alter the outcome or change where you are now. Learn what you need to from past events and then let them go.
And, tomorrow isn’t here yet, so why worry about it? Worrying or obsessing won’t prevent things from happening. Besides, most worries never come to pass anyway.
Staying in the present is important because it’s the only part of time that you have any control over. So, how do you keep yourself in the present, when your mind wants to stay on memory lane or fast-forward to tomorrow?
1. Be child-like. Have you ever tried to talk to a child while they’re playing their favorite video game, but can’t seem to draw their attention away from it? It’s not necessarily that they’re ignoring you, although that certainly happens from time to time. Sometimes, they’re just so focused, so caught up in the present, that they truly don’t realize you’re calling for them.
Kids are the best at staying in the here and now. They don’t obsess about something that happened yesterday or fret over what may happen tomorrow. They keep their focus on whatever is captivating their attention at the moment.
2. Meditate. The whole premise behind meditation is to be present in each minute as it happens. When you channel all of your attention on your breathing, you can think of nothing else. Not the past. Not the future. Just the moment at hand.
Some people give up on meditation because they have difficulty keeping their mind from wandering, but this is natural until you get the hang of it. With enough practice, you’ll be able to tune out all distractions and be able to fully engage your focus.
3. Live like no one’s watching. Ever not do something because you fear someone will see you and think that you’re silly or stupid? The very thought that you’re being judged from others can keep you from living in the moment.
4. Let go of what others think. Who cares if they agree or disagree with you or think you’re a freak? Some of the greatest innovators are people that weren’t concerned with society’s labels and stayed true to themselves. Look at Einstein.
5. If you want to dance, dance. If you want to sing, sing. Do what makes you feel happy. It’s not important what others think. It’s only important what you think.
6. Take a social media break. It’s hard to stay focused on the here and now when your phone is dinging alerting you to a text message or your computer is bleeping because someone instant messaged you. Sometimes you have to unplug from social media to fully participate in your life.
Just because someone sends you something, doesn’t mean you have to respond immediately. If you’re always waiting for a message or stopping what you’re doing because a friend sent you a funny joke, you’re not fully engaged in your life. You’re not living.
Start living each minute like it’s your last. It is, because you’ll never get that minute back. So, make it worth it.
Source: Operation Meditation;
