“What day is it?”
It’s today,” squeaked Piglet.
My favorite day,” said Pooh.”
― A.A. Milne
Renting out the times from tomorrow wondering how things are going to turn out to be, or dwelling on the past for what could have happened is nothing but cheating yourself out of today. The purpose of life is to live wisely and earnestly on every wave between two golden hours – sunrise and sunset, discover eternity in this moment and steal the joy of life from NOW. If you lose them you will never know some of those moments might have had wonderful things in store for you.
Past and future are illusions that don’t exist right now and if you aren’t living in now then you certainly are in illusionary world. Mourning the past or thinking about the future evokes mental and emotional stress and proves detrimental impact on emotional, physical and mental well-being.
Following are eight simple ways that will make you fall in love with the present:
1. Stop letting yesterday hold you back and become an excuse to ignore today, or safe future’s arrival bother you. Just enjoy the ride: Wherever you are, whatever you are doing just be completely there to enjoy the taste of it; otherwise it will be gone forever. Present moment is full of happiness which can only be perceived by an attentive mind. Majority of us are either grieved by the past ‘what I could have had’ or worried about the safe future’s arrival and these elements of resistance (worry, concern or grief) destroy the excitement of NOW. NOW is the quintessence, focus and spirit of living the life at its best. The past has gone you can’t go back to correct it, you can only take lessons from it; the future is yet to arrive; you can’t drag it before the time. No matter how excited you feel about it but you can only have the present in your hand. Even a momentary moment is momentous and irreplaceable; therefore don’t let it go.
2. Meditation: Meditation is an infinite bliss, supreme joy and ultimate realization of the truth in the presence of NOW. It takes you to the stillness of sacred silence, enabling you to hear the resonance and sensation of your breath; consequently, allowing you to concentrate on enlightening moments of NOW and walking on the beautiful path in peace. Remember, the path isn’t ready-made; you have to discover it with the lights that stems from within.
3.Practice awareness and mindfulness: Practicing mindfulness is making yourself conscious about all of your actions. You are actually awake and aware in your present action and not pondering over how would you accomplish the task tomorrow or why did that happen to you yesterday.
4. Take a deep breath and feel alive: Be watchful of your breaths even if they are voluntary or involuntary. Taking conscious deep breath is taking yourself back in the present moment where life is actually happening and living it at its best.
5. Stop living with grudge: Nurturing animosity or registering grudges is letting the ghost of yesterday haunt you, imprison you and drag you to the past resentment. To live in the moment you have to release yourself from the imprisonment of past angers and rancors.
6. Acknowledge and accept: The relentless avoidance of pain-of your own would take you out of yourself and destroy. Pain and fear are like cancer, they grow steadily until you are destroyed. Therefore, acknowledge your fear and pain so that you can break its stillness, let it move and liberate you from the hold.
7. Be grateful everyday: “Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.”-Marcel Proust
Acknowledging the good and renewing your gratitude daily are the best pleasing practice that lay the foundation of having abundance in life. Don’t forget to thank the people who have rekindled you by their spark. Show your gratitude to the things (living or non living) that lighted the flame within you.
8. Be optimistic: Optimism is the best motivating force, source of inspiration, hope, and the healing light which eliminate the darkness from within and enlighten you with profound inner conscience. So be optimistic and Keep Your Hopes Up High
“Life is all memory, except for the one present moment that goes by you so quickly you hardly catch it going.” – Tennessee Williams
