Engaging in the Moment for More Effective Living.
It's not that we're living in the future and trying to bring the past into it. We are living in the present, but we're not fully aware of what's happening around us until we make a conscious effort to really be there. Sure, you may know how to take care of yourself. You may know how to do your job well enough that it doesn't feel like work (or maybe you enjoy doing work). But are you really tuned into your life?
Making sure that we are enjoying our lives means making sure that every day is an amazing adventure — as opposed to just slogging through one long day after another with nothing more than a few breaks in between.
There is a lot to be said for how being fully engaged in the moment can help lead to more effective living. We spend so much of our time thinking about the past and, even worse, planning for the future that we forget to enjoy what we are doing today. And we often neglect to notice what's going on right now while we're living in the present, as opposed to thinking about it later on.
Let's face it: no matter how good (or bad) you feel you are at taking care of yourself, there will always be something more that you could do. That's okay! It doesn't mean that you're at your best or living up to your potential. But it's a fact.
If we are not in the moment, then what? We can always get back into being in the moment, even if that requires getting out of our current situation (e.g., quitting our job to travel the world). But how?
You could take a break from your daily routine. You could clear your mind for just a few minutes and do nothing. Just be with yourself in silence and make sure that you're fully present. Make sure that whatever you're doing is stimulating you — instead of boring you to tears. And make sure that whatever you're doing provides value for you at this very moment . Doing something absolutely mindless will definitely help restore your sense of wonder about life (and ease any depression). An easy way to do this is to focus on three things: your breath (feel the air going in and out of your nose and mouth), your body (feel the pulse of your heart, the movements of your muscles as you move) and what's going on around you.
What are you doing right now? Just sit there, be rooted in the here and now and feel how wonderful it is to be alive.
Before we begin to engage in activities, we must first become fully present with ourselves. This can be done by coming back to our body, listening to the sounds around us (and not just hearing sounds but also getting into a state where we're fully immersed in our senses).
We can also make sure to really feel the sensations that are going on inside of us. It's easy to just go with whatever is going on — and it's okay if we do this, especially as a beginner. But one thing that happens time and time again is that we lose ourselves in what we are doing (or what others are doing to us). And when we come out of these situations or activities, it feels like a burden has been lifted from us.
But getting into the now takes some effort on your part. You cannot wait for life (or others) to bring you back into the present moment — you have to push yourself into it.
And again, this is the sort of thing that takes some practice. Maybe you'll be successful the first time and maybe you'll have to do it multiple times before it actually starts to sink in. The more you focus on the moment, the more likely it is that you will start to desire to live in the moment. It's as easy as that.
Motivation can come in many forms. But ultimately, motivation comes from within your heart and soul. And when you are motivated by something that goes deep down inside of you, then there is nothing stronger than this type of motivation — and no one can fight against it (this is where willpower comes into play).
There are other ways you can get yourself more fully engaged in the present moment. Some of these ways include: painting, drawing and/or writing as a way to decompress; singing and/or listening to music; adventure sports or just going for a walk outside for an hour (walking through the mountains or visiting a park is probably the best way to do this). Also, drawing or painting during the day can help to relax your nerves (and make you feel better about yourself).
You don't have to give up your job nor do you have to move out of your home. You don't even have to change anything about your job or lifestyle. All you have to do is enjoy the present moment more.
And if you are enjoying what you are doing in this very moment, then you will be a lot more effective in your daily life (and everything else that will follow).
This is the first step in being happier and more optimistic about everything that you do for the rest of your life.
If you want to get really great at remembering what truly matters to you, then make sure that every day is an amazing adventure — and not just another day where you don't even know what happened until it's over . Being present and being aware of what matters to us is probably one of the most important things we can do for ourselves.
You don't have to do anything specific. Just make sure that you're not dwelling on the past or thinking about what could happen tomorrow. Make sure that you're paying attention to what's happening right now. Make sure that whatever you are doing is enjoyable — and not something from your past (or something you'll be required to do tomorrow).
Go forward...and enjoy!
Sources: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23983159 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24731216 http://www.ncbi.nlm .nih .gov/pubmed/25804094 https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/attention-please/201208/the-unconscious-mind-doesnt-exist http://www.ncbi.nlm .nih .gov/pubmed /21148495 http://www.pnas.org/content /111 /46 /17050 http://brainblogger.com/2009/10/04/scientific-evidence-that-yourenot-your -brain/#more -4338
http://www.huffingtonpost .com /dr -mark -hyman /rewire--your -brain--to _b_4420 851 .html http://blogs .chicagotribune.com/news /opinion/sns-top-stories /gorilla -mindset-is-a -tumor-on -the -brains -of_1_2535 853 .html http://www.mentalhelp .net/articles/psychologya py_6631 .aspx http://www.cnnhealth .com/2014/07 /15/health /mindfulness -meditation-positive _1nternews _8x81EIODc4lNvRbZ .html http://www.huffingtonpost .com /2013/01 /29/mindfulness -meditation_n_2356001 .
Conclusion As we can see, the more you practice being in the present moment, the more happiness and contentment you will get from life . And vice versa — if you're more content in your life , then that will make it much easier for you to be happier.
Everything is connected and this is one of the many reasons why we want to live in the moment. All of us are going through a lot at this very moment . But when were just sitting there, being fully present with what's going on around us, we start to realize how little time we actually have left (even though we may feel like time is going by quickly).