Living in the moment, or mindfulness, is a well-used but often misunderstood, phrase.
In no way does it mean not caring.
We can still care about where we have been, what we have done and make plans for our future.
But we humans spend a large portion of our time and energy regretting the past and worrying about the future.
This causes great anxiety and stress and keeps us from being here with what is happening for us right here, and right now.
There is no other time but now.
As we are frantically recalling what we have done, what others have done and said to us, what has happened and wishing that things had been another way, we don't see and hear the important people and things around us.
We are missing our life, when we are not present in it.
How do we slow down? This is a tall order in our ever changing and fast moving world.
Let me explain how I see the concept of living in the moment.
Small children are a prime example of how we naturally live in the present.
Yesterday we took our 21 month old grandson to the beach.
It was a new experience for him.
Having never seen the ocean and the great expanse of sand, he was excited and fascinated by it.
It was the beginning of summer and so still a little cool but he didn't seem to notice.
He immediately fell into the tidal pools, clothes and all, and squealed with delight.
He ran and splashed and fell into it again and again.
He laid there on his belly for a long time and put his face in the water over and over.
He tasted the salt and wanted to taste it again.
He laughed and kicked.
He got up and fell down repeatedly and talked incessantly in his own little language.
He got dirty.
He ate the sand and wore the mud and life couldn't be better for him.
That is what I call 'living in the moment'.
Answering the question of why we don't live in the moment is a challenge.
There are so many reasons why we forget to sit and listen to each other, or walk past a rose garden without stopping to admire it.
It is a fast-paced world that we live in and we are experiencing revolutionary changes in technology.
Life was hectic enough in the early 1900s, but today people are racing around with high-tech gadgets and juggling many tasks.
It used to be that a family could survive on one salary but more and more families have both parents working full time.
Our lives sometimes feel as if they are whirling out of control.
The stress becomes a large part of us and we loose the quality of life.
Here are a few suggestions to help slow our lives down and to experience the small but special things in life.
1.
Understand that the most important part of our lives is our relationships.
When we are constantly worrying about the past or fretting about the future, the people we care about suffer.
2.
Be aware that we may be living a fast-paced life to the exclusion of our peace of mind.
Make it a priority to find a way to slow down.
3.
When we realize that we are on the treadmill, let's take a moment to breath deeply and become aware of the things around us.
Let's be grateful for all that we have.
4.
Why not create a schedule that includes time for our selves and time for our loved ones.
5.
Learning to meditate is a fantastic way to bring sanity back into our lives.
Statistics prove that people who meditate are healthier, physically and mentally.
6.
We can re-evaluate what our priorities are and make changes to accommodate them.
Life is wonderful! It should be a joy and not a burden.
In no way does it mean not caring.
We can still care about where we have been, what we have done and make plans for our future.
But we humans spend a large portion of our time and energy regretting the past and worrying about the future.
This causes great anxiety and stress and keeps us from being here with what is happening for us right here, and right now.
There is no other time but now.
As we are frantically recalling what we have done, what others have done and said to us, what has happened and wishing that things had been another way, we don't see and hear the important people and things around us.
We are missing our life, when we are not present in it.
How do we slow down? This is a tall order in our ever changing and fast moving world.
Let me explain how I see the concept of living in the moment.
Small children are a prime example of how we naturally live in the present.
Yesterday we took our 21 month old grandson to the beach.
It was a new experience for him.
Having never seen the ocean and the great expanse of sand, he was excited and fascinated by it.
It was the beginning of summer and so still a little cool but he didn't seem to notice.
He immediately fell into the tidal pools, clothes and all, and squealed with delight.
He ran and splashed and fell into it again and again.
He laid there on his belly for a long time and put his face in the water over and over.
He tasted the salt and wanted to taste it again.
He laughed and kicked.
He got up and fell down repeatedly and talked incessantly in his own little language.
He got dirty.
He ate the sand and wore the mud and life couldn't be better for him.
That is what I call 'living in the moment'.
Answering the question of why we don't live in the moment is a challenge.
There are so many reasons why we forget to sit and listen to each other, or walk past a rose garden without stopping to admire it.
It is a fast-paced world that we live in and we are experiencing revolutionary changes in technology.
Life was hectic enough in the early 1900s, but today people are racing around with high-tech gadgets and juggling many tasks.
It used to be that a family could survive on one salary but more and more families have both parents working full time.
Our lives sometimes feel as if they are whirling out of control.
The stress becomes a large part of us and we loose the quality of life.
Here are a few suggestions to help slow our lives down and to experience the small but special things in life.
1.
Understand that the most important part of our lives is our relationships.
When we are constantly worrying about the past or fretting about the future, the people we care about suffer.
2.
Be aware that we may be living a fast-paced life to the exclusion of our peace of mind.
Make it a priority to find a way to slow down.
3.
When we realize that we are on the treadmill, let's take a moment to breath deeply and become aware of the things around us.
Let's be grateful for all that we have.
4.
Why not create a schedule that includes time for our selves and time for our loved ones.
5.
Learning to meditate is a fantastic way to bring sanity back into our lives.
Statistics prove that people who meditate are healthier, physically and mentally.
6.
We can re-evaluate what our priorities are and make changes to accommodate them.
Life is wonderful! It should be a joy and not a burden.
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