Living in the Moment

Living in the moment is something I've never been very good at. 

Oh sure, in my day-to-day life I can enjoy "moments" of course. Like, for example, my kids playing happily together and listening to their conversations. It's cute. I love it. I think "how sweet" and sometimes I even blog about it.

However, this is not the living in the moment that I'm talking about. I mean letting go of worrying about a future I can't control and thinking about a past that can't be changed.

On some level I know it doesn't really matter how I got here and it doesn't really matter where I'll be in 10 years. What matters is living in the now and making the most of the now.

This seems to come more easily to some people than others. My sister and my mom, for example, were born with the "now" gene. You won't find either one of them fretting about what might happen two weeks from now or questioning every decision they've ever made. Nope. They are here and now and they're content. AND they aren't the only ones out there like this. I know this for a fact.

Then there's me. 

Content? Ha. 

Here and Now? Well, it should count for something that I was here yesterday, or wait, maybe it was last week. 

It's a maddening cycle.

So, how do those born without the "now" gene, learn to live in the moment. As you can imagine, there is a wealth of information on the subject. I liked this list I found online and picked a few of my favorites to share in this blog:

Get outside. Don't let yourself be shut indoors. Go out when it's raining. Walk on the beach. Hike through the woods. Swim in a freezing lake. Bask in the sun. Play sports, or walk barefoot through grass. Pay close attention to nature. 
          
I swore off nature years ago. Nature consists of dirt, bugs, trees, and birds. Not a fan. Considering this appears on every single "how to live in the moment" list I saw, I guess I need to change my attitude.

Rediscover what's important. Take an hour and make a list of everything that's important to you. Add to it everything that you want to do in life. Now cut that list down to 4-5 things. Just the most important things in your life. This is your core list. This is what matters. Focus your life on these things. Make time for them.

I've been doing this without a concerted effort and I do feel like I'm making progress and getting back to the basics of me. I might actually be on to something.

Face your fears. What are you most afraid of? What is holding you back? Whatever it is, recognize it, and face it. Do what you are most afraid of. Afraid of heights? Go to the tallest building, and look down over the edge. Only by facing our fears can we be free of them.

Yeah. We're not going to go here. . .yet. Actually what I mean is, I will, but I'm not taking you with me on that journey for now.

Be positive. Learn to recognize the negative thoughts you have. These are the self-doubts, the criticisms of others, the complaints, the reasons you can't do something. Then stop yourself when you have these thoughts, and replace them with positive thoughts. 

They say attitude is everything and I'm inclined to agree. However, I do have a question. Do you ever wonder, in phrases such as these, who "they" is? 

Be in the moment. Instead of thinking about things you need to do, or things that have happened to you, or worrying or planning or regretting, think about what you are doing, right now. What is around you? What smells and sounds and sights and feelings are you experiencing? Bringing focus back to the present as much as you can in everything you do.

To live in the moment, I guess a person has to be in the moment. It's an interesting concept.

Afterthought: I don't know. It must have something to do with me turning 34 soon. For some reason I have all these projects: not buying Chinese for a month, learning to live in the moment, etc. Does something happen to people in their 30s that they want or feel the need to challenge themselves? Or, is it just me?

Comments

  1. AnonymousAugust 26, 2011 at 8:34 AM

    I had to laugh at your comment about me. I have only recently learned to live in the moment. I have struggled with it for years. I think you have a warped sense of me or something lol. Anyway, you are not alone in wanting or needing a challenge in your 30s. At least my perspective, I think people realize they aren't invincible anymore in their 30s. In your 30s you start to realize there really is a deadline to life.

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