Now it's 2009 and I am focusing attention on the resolution I mentioned previously. Yep, it's my time to get this practice of living in the moment down.There is good news! I am getting better at it.
In Timeshifting Stephan Rechtschaffen shared about the time he saw a bumper sticker that read, “Having a good time, wish I were here.”
Stephan believes Americans live in the future and do so at very high rates of speed. To live in the moment, he believes, is living a life without stress. Even though a difficult place to be all of the time his assertion makes complete sense.
If you are living in the present moment, then worrying about, say the bill collector, doesn’t work. If the bill collector isn’t on your doorstep or on the telephone, then that is worrying about something that isn’t in your present moment. Of course one could argue that you still have bad finances...and so plenty to worry about. But as simplisitic as this advice sounds...I'm going to keep reminding myself of this example to help me focus on what is happening in front of me.
Okay...this makes sense. Onward and upward.
5 comments:
Our culture wasn't bred to live in the moment. Takes some practice and some coaching. So thank you!
Best,
Novelist and poet
Carolyn Howard-Johnson
www.carolynhoward-johnson.com
I, too, believe in living in the present. From my experience, that's where joy, beauty and even transcendent love (what the Greeks and early Christians called agape) reside. Since I was 18--I'm 54 now--I've been trying to take time out of my day to meditate, to practice being in the moment. But as much as I, too, lament the fast-forward, hyper- competitive thrust of our society, I also believe (as I'm sure you do) that there's great value in looking both forward (eg., cultivating dreams) and back (eg., learning from our so-called mistakes). I guess, in other words, that what we're talking about here is the degree to which one lives in each.
Well put, Prill.
It's good to evaluate and learn from the past. The problem is when one dwells there.
And yes, it's also wise to plan for your future - set goals, make plans. We go the wrong direction, though, when we pine away for the future or believe happiness/contentment/joy/success are just a jump and skip away.
I think living in the moment will always take practice. Will we ever always live in the moment on a regular basis? Probably not. But the more aware we can become ,the more peace we will find. Just like joy and sadness. It is all part of life. Can't have one without the other... they go together to make us really appreciae joy when we have it.
So practice, practice, practice... at least that is what it will be for me. But I accept that as I live in the moment about it. :)
Barbara Techel
Author of Frankie, the Walk 'N Roll Dog
http://www.joyfulpaws.com
http://www.joyfulpaws.typepad.com
http://www.frankiethewalknrolldog.blogspot.com
Living in the present is certainly something I have to consciously do - otherwise in the past, future or anywhere but.
Thank you for the reminder.
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