4 Easy Steps To Help You Live In The Present Moment
Posted by Catherine Morgan on February 15, 2007
photo by © msandlier
Living In The Present Moment — by Catherine Morgan
Are you only concerned with adding days to your life, and forgetting to add life to your days? If so, you are not alone. This is a problem many of us have, and the reason we should all try to make a conscious effort, to live in the present moment.
When we are living in the moment, we are totally immersed in what we are doing. I’m not suggesting in any way, that we should attempt to live in the moment 100% of the time, as much as it would be great if we could, it’s just not practical. To do that, we would be setting ourselves up for failure. What I want you to do, is just make an “attempt” at living in the present moment, this is a positive start, and in the right direction. So, how can you start? Well, you start with “awareness”.
First, be conscious of what you are thinking. Make a mental note whenever you find yourself focusing on something negative. Are there certain things that come up more than other things? Most likely, your negative feelings are based in something from your past, or something you fear in your future.
Second, write down on a piece of paper, some of the negative thoughts that are coming up more than others. Just try for two or three right now, you don’t want to be overwhelmed. If in a few days, you find that this exercise was helpful, then by all means, go back and work on a few more issues. Just take it slow, no rush, no pressure.
Third, look at these negative thoughts for a minute. The ones that are from your past, even if it was just yesterday, put a “P” next to them. The ones that are worries or fears of something in your future, even if it is tomorrow, mark with an “F”.
Forth, take some time to “brain-storm” with these thoughts. Are they things that are totally out of your control? Or something from your past, that there is no way to change? Put a line through any of those types of thoughts. Anything still on the paper, take some time to jot down different ideas of how you might reconcile the issue. There is no right or wrong way to do this. Be as brief or as detailed with this as you would like to be.
This process is about awareness, nothing more, nothing less. You need to be “aware” of your thoughts, not just let them run wildly in your head. This is the first step to living in the present moment. Even if you are only “in the moment”, for a few minutes a day, that is better than not at all. So now, when these thoughts come into your head, stop yourself from letting them bother you, let them go. Doing this should be easy, since you are now aware of them, and know what you can control and what you cant. Now you can replace those thoughts, with the things that right now (the present moment), you are grateful for. Just be at peace with this moment, and with yourself.
Now, think about this. The only moment in which we can truly be happy, is the present moment. The only moment that we have control of, is the present moment. So let go of the negative thoughts, and be happy now! Because if not now, then when?
ggwfung said
these are some good tips, even for a male member of the species. We can be engaged, and process what’s in front of us now, rather than thinking back or ahead.
Concentrate on here and now.
ggw
Catherine Morgan said
I agree, thanks for your comment.
Julie said
A desire to live in the present moment seems to be blossoming in the collective consciousness of our species. It’s like on some level, we’re all feeling our awareness rise, that life, as we’ve lived it, is out of kilter, and we’re trying to find our way back.
I read a book recently that changed the way I see the present moment. It’s called The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle. Powerful stuff.
Thanks for your post. Every time one person focuses others in the right direction, a ripple glides across the face of the universe.
Julie (www.ofsandandstars.com)
Catherine Morgan said
Hi Julie,
Thank you for your comment. I think you are right, I hope you are right. I haven’t heard of the book you mentioned, but I think I will look it up. Thanks.
Link Karma: Why don't we all live as if we're dying? « Lemonade Stand said
[...] “4 Easy Steps To Help You Live In The Present Moment” by Catherine Morgan is posted at the Women 4 Hope blog. [...]
ionios said
don’t people(esp women) live in the moment anyway? what was the point of this blog exactly? if anything, you should be discourating people from living in the moment. it’s the reason our ‘culture’ is so shallow and retarded.
Catherine Morgan said
you say – “what was the point of this blog exactly?”
First – This is a post within a blog, there is much more to this blog than this post.
Second – I don’t agree with you that our culture is either “shallow” or “retarded”.
Third – It would appear to me, that you read nothing more than the title of this post and then decided to leave a rude comment.
*If you are not interested in the topics I cover in this blog, then please feel free to not visit here anymore…This is my “personal” blog, and I will NOT tolerate TROLLS.
Have a nice day.
RDY said
Thanks for your post! It’s hard to quiet your mind sometimes to truly experience the present moment. Especially with jobs, kids and responsibilities. These kinds of tools are always helpful
Tim said
There is another book that is outstanding on this topic – The practicing mind by Thomas Stearner