Living in the moment

A truth that has just recently dawned on me is how little attention I pay to the present moment I am in.

But I think that we are all as guilty as each other in this regard as, quite frankly, it can’t be helped!

Here’s what I mean – If you dissect the simple everyday tasks we do and really think about it, you’ll realise that everything we do is for another moment in time.

For example;

Getting dressed – do we really think in that moment of what we are doing? And are we aware of our inner most feelings at that time? Probably not – we are simply planning for what we want to look like for the rest of the day which will take place in the future;

Making food – we may be aware and conscious of what we are throwing into the frying pan but what we are really doing is thinking about when we are going to eat it – in the future;

At work – we are completing repetitive tasks that are second nature to us, but what for? For money we will eventually spend? To get approval from the boss? To make the day go faster? …etc;

Going to bed – are you going to bed early because of a late night the previous day (which is now in the past) or can you afford to stay up a little later because you know that tomorrow (in the future) you are not working so will be able to lie-in?

– and even;

Taking pictures – we smile when a photograph is being taken, whether we are happy in that moment or not, so that we can look back on that time with, hopefully, fond memories. I mean, isn’t the whole point of taking a picture to preserve the moment? But what if we weren’t living it in the first place? That smile wasn’t real, it was meant for the future. Did you smile for the camera or smile for the moment?

It’s interesting, huh? Practically everything we do, when you really think about it, is for another reason in another time and, when it all boils down, this is the conclusion you reach:

We are present to fulfill the future and to acknowledge the past.

The more I think about it, the more I can see – in my life – ways that I avoid the present. There’s always guilt from the past that can occupy my thoughts, goals in the future that I tell myself  “Once I get there or have that things will be good and I will be content”, but I know that if and when I do reach those goals or ideals, I still won’t acknowledge them and I will still be striving for something else because I am never satisfied. We are never satisfied. Human beings are never satisfied. We are experts at wanting more because being in the present is disappointing, boring and mundane.

So how can we “EMBRACE THE MOMENT!” – which has become such a cliché phrase that we all like and hang on our walls but don’t actually know how to do?

Well, to be honest I don’t actually know! This is where my train of thought ends! But I think being mindful is key. We have to really try to tune in to ourselves as often as possible. I know this is a common practice in yoga as you are coached to feel every sensation in your body as you carefully inhale and exhale. But I am not really into yoga so I’ll have to do it the hard way!

I went to a mindfulness workshop the other weekend and we were each given a sweet to put in our mouth. We were instructed not to chew, but to just be aware that it was in our mouth. I wasn’t expecting much but I was actually astounded at the results! – I honestly never knew food could taste like that! It really opened my eyes to how delicate every sensation can be if we but listen. Now, I know we can’t do that with every mouthful of food that passes our lips – otherwise we’d be eating all day and that’s just not practical or healthy, but I think when we have the time, we really should take the opportunity.

Think about everything you do. Do I really want this? Why? What is going on “upstairs” that makes me feel like this?

It can apply to every problem we are going through; stress, worry, compulsion, fear.

One of my favourite Disney characters is Grandmother Willow from Pocahontas. She honestly makes me want to be a tree! She is so in tune with nature and her surroundings:

“All around you are spirits, child. They live in the earth, the water, the sky. If you listen, they will guide you.”

“Listen with your heart. You will understand.”

In fact the whole song “Colors of the wind” is amazing!:

You think I’m an ignorant savage
And you’ve been so many places
I guess it must be so
But still I cannot see
If the savage one is me
How can there be so much that you don’t know?
You don’t know …

You think you own whatever land you land on
The Earth is just a dead thing you can claim
But I know every rock and tree and creature
Has a life, has a spirit, has a name

You think the only people who are people
Are the people who look and think like you
But if you walk the footsteps of a stranger
You’ll learn things you never knew you never knew

Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon
Or asked the grinning bobcat why he grinned?
Can you sing with all the voices of the mountains?
Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?
Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?

Come run the hidden pine trails of the forest
Come taste the sunsweet berries of the Earth
Come roll in all the riches all around you
And for once, never wonder what they’re worth

The rainstorm and the river are my brothers
The heron and the otter are my friends
And we are all connected to each other
In a circle, in a hoop that never ends

How high will the sycamore grow?
If you cut it down, then you’ll never know
And you’ll never hear the wolf cry to the blue corn moon

For whether we are white or copper skinned
We need to sing with all the voices of the mountains
We need to paint with all the colors of the wind

You can own the Earth and still
All you’ll own is Earth until
You can paint with all the colors of the wind

Okay, now I’m turning a little bit hippie! – But that’s alright – you get the point!

So I guess, to summarize, I would implore you to take the time to notice yourself – even if it seems no one else does. Notice how you feel, notice your surroundings, notice other people, notice your thoughts. And try not to hide away, try not to distract yourself ALL of the time, try to live in and enjoy being part of the moment you are in NOW because, as the saying goes, this moment will never come again!

Peace   xx