It’s unfortunate that in our lives today, we are pretty much running on autopilot. We don’t even realize what we are doing half the time.
How many times has this happened to you: you are driving down a road, and after a few minutes you ask yourself, “How did I even end up here?” You don’t even remember the last few moments of your life that you just traveled to get where you are.
I am going to show you how you can start living in the present, so you can start enjoying today, tomorrow, and beyond. But first, let me show you why the way you are thinking now may be holding you back.
Why Do We Get So Distracted
Our mind always wants to be thinking about something, a memory, thought or a dream. Most of the time, it’s not a productive thing that we are thinking about.
Many people spend a lot of time thinking of the past. We think about things we are not happy about that we did, or did not do, that has happened to us, and things we regret in our lives.
In addition, many people spend a lot of time thinking about the future, such as fears, stresses, and worries.
Why Living In The Present Is The Right Choice
Not enough people spend time thinking and being in the the present.
The present, this very moment – right now – is where reality is.
You are living in the now, the past and the future are just states of mind.
The mind is very powerful, and can conjure up anything it wants to at anytime, good or bad things, happy or sad. We have unfortunately conditioned ourselves to think about the negative side of things most often, which is not a very good way to live.
To have more control in your life, you must control the present moment.
Let’s talk about some of the benefits of this.
The first is that you are much more productive. Why? Because you are actually focused on the task at hand. Ask yourself, what am I doing right now, how can I complete this task to the best of my abilities, how can I pour 110% of my efforts into this task right now.
Another benefit which is wonderful, is that it gives you peace of mind. You are not having to worry about what’s happened in the past or what will happen in the future. You are in a state of mindlessness, which is being present to where you are right now.
This will allow you to:
- Accept your current situation for whatever it is.
- Not attach yourself to the feelings that arise within you.
- See a lot more clearly the feelings that are happening inside of you.
- Have more control over the thoughts that you do feel.
How To Start Living In The Now
We cannot change the past, and there is no reason to beat yourself up over what has already happened. Everything is a learning experience, a growth opportunity, a way to learn from it, and develop as an individual.
We think we can predict and dictate the future. The truth is…we cannot.
A trick that I like to use to be present no matter what the task is to try to perform the task as if it was the first time doing it.
A great example is when you are trying to find a street address in your car. You have never been to this location before and you don’t know where you are going.
You become very focused and aware of your surroundings in the present moment on what you are doing and where you are going, what streets you are turning onto, what streets not to turn onto, and where you are going and exactly how to get there.
You are very focused on the steps you must take to get to your final destination.
See, this technique allows you not to rush through things aimlessly. It will create less stress, because you won’t be having to worry about what’s going to happen in the future or regretting what has happened in the past.
It really relaxes you and brings satisfaction, because every time you complete the task at hand you feel a sense of accomplishment.
Final Thoughts
This is not an easy thing to do and it does take time. With some effort, you will start to be present in what you are doing and you will find yourself enjoying it more, and finding the little things in life more enjoyable to do.
For the rest of the day, whenever you catch yourself dwelling on an issue, refocus your attention to what you are presently doing. Keep repeating this, and you will find that it helps alleviate your worries and gets you to enjoy more of your day.
