What does it mean to be present in the moment?
How can we achieve this when life feels like it is rushing by, scrambling from one moment to the next.
Wishing for one moment to end, so another can begin.
Anxiously waiting as opposed to “being.”
Life can often feel like it is pulling us in many directions simultaneously.
I will admit that I am in the midst of practicing the daily commitment of being present in the moment.
Working or living in a fast paced environment, it is easy to be swayed from being present in the moment. It then carries itself into the personal life. Allowing this to affect the time with family, friends and personal experiences in life.
Not allowing myself to fully absorb and enjoy each new experience.
Is it a fallacy that we can actually slow time down?
I have often reveled at others that actually proclaim they can do this. Do they possess super powers?
I have found it very easy to believe it is “normal” to accept this is “how life is.” Being swept away in each moment not fully appreciating and embracing it.
I am now learning this is not how life is supposed to be enjoyed.
I have started to commit and practice some important concepts of living with the intention of presence.
- Savor the moment you are in, relish in it
- Breathe- meditation
- Depth of engagement- set the stage- create the best possible conditions for it to occur
- Help move towards challenges instead of away from them (acceptance)
- gratitude
- take a moment to reflect
Examples of how this will help in my life
Savor the moment you are in and relish in it
Accepting of the moment. Not thinking about other things. Just the moment that is happening. Indulging that this may be the last moment of it’s kind. Appreciating it for what it is.
Breathe and combine with meditation
Being more aware of my breathing, controlling it. Specifically in stressful situations or experiences that are challenging. Begin meditating gradually. Small increments in order to assist with clearing mind and regaining focus in life. Bringing clarity into perspective. I anticipate this to be particularly helpful on my journey to living an extraordinary life and creating what I envision.
Depth of engagement. Create the best possible conditions for engagement to occur
Changing the environment for which engagement will occur. Start noticing the things we take for granted. Wherever I am, I take a moment to see things I may have not noticed before. While interacting with someone, focusing on the positive qualities that I may not have noticed before. Making more of an effort to retain people’s names for a more personalized connection. Trying to do things in a slightly different way for improvement. Continually learning new things around me and within what I am doing.
Embrace and accept challenges instead of trying to avoid them
Instead of bowing down to challenges and being obedient to them, embrace them. Accept them without worrying about fear of failure. Knowing and understanding that whatever the outcome will be, it is a growth experience. Acceptance instantly gives more enjoyment to the experience. I find it self motivating and creates a self induced enthusiasm that “I can do this.” Accepting the challenges builds resiliency. I have also found that it increases the response time to overcome the challenge.
Practice gratitude
Being more appreciative of what I have, what others do for me and around me. Continually being grateful I am here today and the opportunity I have to live at this moment. Practicing gratitude daily. Being grateful for at least one thing each time I wake and at least one thing before I go to sleep each day.
Take a moment to reflect on your experiences/interactions
Briefly reflecting on learning from each experience and interaction. Not to the point of over analyzing. Creating an awareness of my attitude, what I learned about the person or experience. How I can improve myself as a person.
Reviewing these characteristics of presence has helped me to understand the clarity of what it means to be in the moment. It will require my effort and awareness to fully enjoy the complexity that each moment brings.
I have recently listened to Eckhart Tolle – The Power of Now audio book which shared some extensive insight on presence and being in the moment.
While I practice living with presence I am learning that time is becoming more controlled. Time does not stop but moves at an even pace with my perception of the moment. I am not caught scrambling to grasp the moment and find enjoyment in it. I am in the moment, enjoying it and ready to embrace the arrival of the next one.
Living with presence controls our perception of the moment. Creating enjoyment and fulfillment in it. Allowing us to readily embrace the arrival of the next one” – Kristin Larsen
Resource credits- Start Here- master the lifelong habit of well-being audiobook, psychology today