What is living in the present moment?
Living in the present moment is the most joyful and content state a human being can live in. It is our natural experience. But what happens when society provides us with an endless number of beliefs that drag us out of this state into a world of misery and stress. Living in the present is something most people are not accustomed to and have become addicted to the past or future. We can only fully experience the present moment; we cannot see or feel the past and the future, only what is in front of us in this exact moment. This can negatively impact a personal life as it causes our focus to be pulled away to either focus on the past and depressing you or the end and make us anxious. None of this is accurate, the only true thing is the present moment is the only thing that can be experienced and so many are choosing to escape it, this always ends in misery and unhappiness. Our beliefs about the world and conditioning have created a stronger pull from the present moment. When we were a child, we were the present, but then our minds got in the way, and we decided there was a better way to unhappiness. Plus, the modern world has made it easy to avoid the present moment with our busy jobs and concept of time but is there a way to become present even with these distractions? The idea of living in the past or future stems from the belief that we are not enough right now; this leaves us wondering if we did things right and if we get the nice thing will be ‘complete’ us in the future. We are misled to believe that long-lasting happiness can be found this way, but it is futile. Living in the present moment Some people have been raised in a way that allows them to be present, most likely by accident; these people live some of the happiest lives on the planet. They live true to themselves, never bearing the weight of a mask and achieving things not because they need to but because they can. This is the optimal state that all human beings should be in. It leads to contentment, joy, and an eagerness to engage with the world. Benefits: The present moment has a tremendous number of benefits. It is the natural way to live and overcome addictions such as smoking and drinking. We begin to enjoy pushing ourselves physically and mentally, desiring to find out what our potential is. Work becomes easier as procrastination and perfectionism are symptoms of not being in the present moment. We will notice every bite of food and the specific textures causing us to eat slower and less; this allows us to lose weight dramatically when we are not using it as a crutch to escape how we feel in the present. Learn skills, instruments, and sports faster as the world begins to feel like something that we can experience and enjoy, not something to overcome. Living in the past or future On the other hand, not being present can cause incredible suffering. If we allow ourself to be a victim of the past and a slave to a future we will always feel a sense of unease. We will be susceptible to stress, addiction and generally feel uncomfortable in life. There is no redemption to be found in time. The strange thing is the longer we live in this state, the worse it gets as more and more stress and thoughts build to keep us out of the present. It is an unfortunate trap to get caught in, and few ever make it out. If we have been in this state most of our life it can be challenging to see the signs; here are a few questions we can ask ourselves: Nowadays, most people have due to not being mindful, and wealth, health, relationships, and happiness are all affected by this. We will not feel as if we live our lives as much as we could, continuously getting in our heads whenever something terrible happens. People need to start feeling again. Not thinking about an issue or trying to escape but feel it in its entirety is being present, and the more we do it, the happier we will become. Disadvantages: How to become present The mind, however, can never be present; only the body holds this ability. Not being present comes from our conditioning. We have been told certain things that create an emotional impact on our bodies that force us to live in our minds. This will lead to escapism habits which can be anything from a subtle nail bite to cocaine addiction, depending on the intensity of the trauma. The best way to deal with this trauma is to feel our way through meditation. We must sit and experience what brings us out of the present moment; this will make it easier and more accessible for us to stay current. A brilliant method to achieve this is guided meditation, which involves a qualified coach showing us how to meditate and discover the inner beliefs about the world that are not helping us. We have these classes and a positivity program helping us associate the present moment in a much better light. This will push the length of time you are present massively, and that refrigerator hum of unease will begin to disperse.