How I Live In The Moment
Life is full of beautiful memories, amazing beings, gorgeous views and special moments. Everyone's past includes good moments, not so good moments, and often a rollercoaster of emotions. Everyone has a different future waiting ahead, which should come in a rhythm that makes sense for you.
Living in the present is the best way to find peace with yourself, others and your life. It gives the ability to cherish the now without jumping ahead.
It may sound like a lot of words, and a difficult task to accomplish but when you break it down you can slowly enjoy life in the moment.
Here are different ways I stay in the moment:
In my life
I like learning from my mistakes and the people I encounter. This means knowing things happen for a reason and accepting the situation that I've been through. I try my best not to dwell on the past by telling myself I'm meant to be where I am and I learnt a lot from my experiences.
I like writing in a journal when my emotions get overwhelming or when I need to get something off my chest. I don't do this everyday but when I do, it's a helpful way to release negative emotions. It can also be a way to share positive situations to back on when things are tough. By doing this I allow myself to cherish the current moment and I leave the rest in my journal.
Another way I live in the now, is doing things that make me happy with no excuses. Life gets busy and it makes it harder to do the things we love. I try to make time for my hobbies, my loved ones and the amazing little moments. This brings me joy and helps me realize life is a full of beautiful things.
I take the opportunities as they come up. This can go hand in hand with doing the things that make me happy, but it's also saying yes to opportunities that I may not go out of my way to do on my own. Such as going ziplining or a jet boat with a friend last minute , heading to a concert or a road trip, a party where I won't know anyone. By saying yes to these and more, it keeps life exciting and helps me live in the present.
I focus on what I have and not what I could have. As humans, we will always want more and it's when we tell ourselves that we are content with what we have that we will be at peace in the present moment. I have dreams, asperations and goals, and I keep working towards them slowly but I remember that I'm also lucky with everything I have now.
I do a mental check in to make sure I'm ok and if something isn't ok I evaluate what needs to change. In other words, I don't create any problems if there aren't any problems in sight. I allow myself to be happy and live in the moment until there's a reason to change something.
"Being happy is something that each of us determines, it is not something that we find outside of yourself, it is within us and our choice." -Catherine Pulsifer
On the daily
If I'm having a tough day or there's an overload of emotions, I will get it off my chest by talking to someone about it. This is normally, a close friend or a family member. It gives me the opportunity to let go fully, to help me continue my day happy in the present moment.
I wake up and mentally tell myself "it's a new day". This helps set the tone for the day, reassuring myself that yesterday is in the past and I can start fresh today. That's why it's good to journal or talk to someone the night before, to fully tackle the day with a new conscience.
I do things that make me happy. Everyday I will aim to do at least one thing that I love, such as wearing an outfit I really love, giving myself time to sit down and watch the show I enjoy or getting my favorite drink. It can be anything on my happiness list but as long as I'm giving myself that reason to enjoy the moment, that's what matters.
Every morning driving to work, I listen to my favorite music or the music I'm feeling in the moment and it makes me feel grounded.
I take one step at a time, day by day, because everyday is a new day, every hour is a different time and so on. I don't know that I will spill my coffee in an hour, but unfortunately if it happens it happens . I can't predict or stop situations from happening, therefore I wait for the moment to present itself. Which equals taking one thing at a time.
In conversation
When having a conversation with anyone, I make sure to listen to the other person. When I have an idea, I don't want to lose my thought and it can be easy to jump and say what I have on my mind. Although I need to remember a conversation goes two ways, the other person or people want to have the same opportunity to talk as I do. By letting the person talk, I allow myself to cherish what they are saying, really take it in and focus on the present of the conversation.
I aim to use my phone the smallest amount as possible while with others. It is a difficult task to accomplish but once you do it you'll enjoy the current time a lot better. We've all had a time where we've sat with someone and both stayed on our phones without conversing... but why? The time to share moments with loved ones is now. The things on our phone can wait, they will still be there later, but the exact moment you're in you may not get back.
Just remember: the only person that can choose to live in the now, is you.
Josée™
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