As we continue to move into 2013 sometimes just taking a moment to reflect can move mountains...
How can you enjoy the present moment? After all, life is so busy. It’s difficult to find a quiet moment to begin with. And even if you can get into your happy place, mentally, something might come along to interrupt you and drag you back into reality.
Actually enjoying the present moment is pretty simple…
OK, so how do you enjoy the present moment? You might’ve guessed it: stop thinking so much about the future and the past. Take in everything that’s going on around you: sights and smells and sounds and maybe more smells if you’re still up for it after that first set of smells. If you feel your thoughts drifting to the future or the past, just bring yourself back to the present and immerse yourself in whatever you are doing, no matter what it is.
Let’s say you’re doing the laundry. How do you enjoy doing that? First, go slowly. Put the clothes into the washer one by one. Appreciate the different textures of the clothes. Marvel at the different-colored food stains on your kids’ pants. Consider the stain-fighting power of your detergent. Behold the wonders of washing machine technology. If you find yourself dwelling on the past or the future, just gently bring yourself back to the present by paying deeper attention to whatever you’re doing.
If you’re enjoying the present and something disrupts you, don’t worry about it. Disruptions are going to happen. Just try and enjoy the disruption. Keep paying attention to what you are doing. If you start getting annoyed about the interruption, then you are slipping into thinking about both the past (the moment before you were interrupted) and the future (the peaceful moment you want to get back to having), instead of staying grounded in the present moment.
Keep in mind, I’m not saying stop planning for the future or learning from the past. Just remember that if you want to enjoy the present, you have to spend time there. You can’t always be hanging out in the future or the past.
