“If we take care of the moments, the years will take of themselves.” – Maria Edgeworth
Living in the present moment is about awareness or mindfulness. In other words, being fully awake and alert to experience life to the fullest. But to be fully mindful, can be rather difficult.Most of the time, our minds tend to fleet freely from thought to thought.
Our emotions can distract our thoughts. Being able to live in the present moment, one has to be a keen observer of what happens both inside and outside us all the time.
“Don’t let yesterday use up too much of today.” – Cherokee Proverb
To be fully aware and live in the present, we cannot cling onto things like possessions, people, habits and regrets. Time is another barrier to living in the present moment. You should leave the past behind and the future out from your mind.
Our habits is another distraction of our awareness. We cannot be fully be in the now, if we are controlled by our habits. This addiction to repeated patterns of behavior can hold us back, without us being aware of it.
© Photographer | Agency: Dreamstime.com
In order to get us fully aware of the present is if you can be in stillness. When we are capable of sitting still and fully register the sensations that impinge on us, then only we are able to be living in the now.
Activities like meditation, yoga and tai-chi can help us to achieve mindfulness. One good guide is the use of your breathing. Focus on your breathing and you are instantly trapped in the present moment.
“There is only one moment in time when it is essential to awaken. That moment is now.” – The Buddha
Learn to see perfection in every ordinary moment; be it good or bad. Give each moment your full undivided attention. Appreciate, respond and feel the value of now. You don’t hold onto the moment. Just let it go and enjoy each moment, just like your ongoing breath. Let your past as mere memories, and without regret. Look out for fresh moments, rather than reliving the bygones.
If you want to get more tips and ideas on how to live in the moment, I strongly suggest you get Barbara Ann Kipfer’s book “1,001 Ways to Live in the Moment“. It is an excellent compilation of profound insights, meditations, powerful suggestions, exercises and inspiring life quotes that will lead you to the path of awareness where you can discover the simple joy of slowing down and live a fulfilled life in the present.