The Importance of Living in the Moment
Just like all of you, I am human, too.
I have moments of weakness, doubt, worry, and anxiety.
For the most part, I’ve beaten the worst of it. That’s part of becoming an adult — learning how to cope and manage the stress of everyday life.
Stress happens. I know now that how I cope is completely under my control, and I only wish I had been taught that beforehand. It may have taken longer than most, but dammit I got a handle on it.
Unfortunately, sometimes things resurface.
Life sends another trial.
As I sat on my living room floor the other night, feeling overwhelmed, depressed, and slightly anxious, I came to an enlightening revelation: everything I’m stressed about is either in the past or in the future.
Right here…
Right now…
In this moment, everything is fine. In fact, everything is really fucking great.
I have a loving fiancé. The cutest dog in the world. A great job. My health. And the unbounded ability to continue to learn, grow, and create.
When I stopped to think about it, I had a death grip on the past and future.
I like to imagine as though I’m standing in the middle of a doorway. My one hand clasped firmly on the left side, representing the past. The other hand clasped on the right side, representing the future.
How am I ever supposed to walk through the door — to live in the present — if I’m so strongly attached to the past and future?
I can’t.
That’s why I — and you — must let go and live a life well lived.
We can’t change what’s happened in the past, and only a few things in the future are truly under our control.
So today, right now, how about we all commit to trying to be more present — to live in the moment.
How can you do this?
There are a couple of ways that I practice mindfulness in my everyday life. Here they are for you to copy or mold into your own:
- Meditate. Every morning, I sit or lay down and focus on my breath for 10 minutes. I focus only on breathing and being. Nothing else. Thoughts may try to intrude on my practice. In fact, they most certainly will. I don’t try to suppress or change them. I notice them from a third person perspective, and then I gently bring my attention back to my breath.
- Gratitude. I have an alarm on my phone every night at 10pm that reminds me to take a moment and say what I am grateful for. I also do it every morning as a part of my waking up routine. My fiancé has even gotten in on the action thanks to me constantly asking her.
- Walking. Most nights I will go out (especially during the 10k step challenge I did) and enjoy a nice walk with my dog or fiancé. I make it a point to pay extra attention to nature and just the overall experience of walking. It feels really amazing just to be alive sometimes.
The lesson that I wanted to share with you today is to live in the moment. Every time I’m stressed, anxious, or overwhelmed, is because I’m spending too much time in the past or future. Let go of it and walk through the door of life.
Further Exploration
Curious to dive a little deeper into mindfulness?
If so, sign up for my free 7-day mindfulness email course. It’s just one email per day for 7 days to learn the basics, find some head space, reduce stress, and improve happiness.
This is your life and you deserve to live it on your terms, not in the shadows of anxiety and overwhelm.
Originally published at www.themonklife.net on March 31, 2017.
