Six Ways to Live in the Present
The simple things are also the most extraordinary things, and only the wise can see them.
From The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.
Living in the present or, as it is sometimes known, living in the now, takes a personal commitment to actively concentrate on what’s happening right now, to live like there is no tomorrow. We don’t start out with that attitude. That’s why it takes practice.
How, do I do that, you may wonder? Here’s how:
Make a concerted effort to focus on what you doing are this moment. Shut out the exterior, mindless distractions. Cut out as much ‘noise’ as you can. Slow down and savour the present.- Pay attention to the little things: They can make such a huge difference in your life and how you feel.
- Smile: When you smile rather than frown when you meet someone you immediately affect your surroundings and how people react. They just naturally become more human.
- Engage in random acts of kindness: Do something for someone else without expecting anything in return. Doing that not only helps you, but it raises the spirits of that other person – and yours, too.
- Adopt an attitude of gratitude: Learn to appreciate and be grateful for all that is good in your life – and the people who love and nurture you. Live in the present by expressing gratitude when you feel it.
- Try not to worry so much: Worrying won’t change what happens tomorrow. Every second that you spend in worry about the future is a second of the present wasted because worrying takes you out of the moment and shifts your attention to the realm of future possibilities. It is impossible to live in the present and worry about the future at the time.
Living in the present is the art of the soul. Your mind is at rest because when you are living in the present – not thinking about the past or the future, there is nothing else, really, than now.
Six steps that sound easy but that are so hard to do. When you learn how to live this way, though, it changes everything. You will live a fuller life, appreciate every minute of your day and begin to feel a level of peace and relaxation such as you have never felt before.