Live for the moment

By Klaus Döring

Living in the present moment means no longer worrying about what happened in the past and not fearing what will happen in the future. It means enjoying what’s happening now and living for today. Choosing to live in the past or the future not only robs you of enjoyment today but also robs you of truly living.

That means: SLOW DOWN! We are trying to make too many decisions NOW without having enough information to make good choices, and too many of those decisions depend on things that haven’t actually happened yet — and may never happen at all.

Many people want to learn more about how to live in the moment. Most of us have a tendency to live in the past or the future. How often do you find yourself thinking about what happened yesterday or what might happen tomorrow? How does this affect your life and well-being?

Constantly thinking about the past and worrying about the future can make it difficult to enjoy the good things in your life now. Learning how to be more mindful and live in the moment can give you a greater appreciation for your life while also reducing feelings of stress, depression, and anxiety.

Here are a few ways to live in the moment more frequently.

Let’s take a deep breath, step back a bit and consider what MUST be done now and what DOES NOT HAVE TO be done now, no matter how urgently we may WANT to do it.

Take it one day at a time: Make decisions today about what should be done TODAY. The things we are worrying about may never happen at all — and if they do, we will decide THEN.

Slow down.

Living in the present moment means no longer worrying about what happened in the past and not fearing what will happen in the future. It means enjoying what’s happening now and living for today. Choosing to live in the past or the future not only robs you of enjoyment today but also robs you of truly living.

“The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.”

One of the best unforeseen consequences of simplifying our lives is that it has allowed us to begin living in the present moment.

Eliminating nonessential possessions has freed us from many of the emotions associated with our past lives that were keeping us stuck. Clearing our home has also given us the freedom to shape our lives today around our most important values.

Choosing to live in the past or the future not only robs you of enjoyment today but also robs you of truly living. The only important moment is the present moment.

With that goal in mind, consider the following 10 tips for living in the moment.

Remove unneeded possessions: Minimalism forces you to live in the present. Removing items associated with past memories frees you and allows you to stop living in the past. Once the past no longer has power, you can begin to live in the moment.

Smile: Each day is full of endless possibilities! Start it with a smile. You are in control of your attitude every morning. Keep it optimistic and expectant. Be intentional about it, and you’ll find yourself doing it every day without even realizing it.

Fully appreciate the moments of today: Soak in as much of today as you possibly can — the sights, the sounds, the smells, the emotions, the triumphs and the sorrows. These are part of our daily lives, but we often forget to take them in and truly appreciate them.

Forgive past hurts: If you are harboring resentment toward another person because of past hurts, choose to forgive and move on. The harm was their fault, but allowing it to affect your mood today is your choice. Let go and choose to be present in the moment instead. That was one of the most difficult points for me.

Love your job: If you just “survive” the workweek while constantly waiting for the next weekend to arrive, you are wasting 71% of your week, or five of seven days. There are two solutions: Find a new job that you actually enjoy, or find something you appreciate about your current career. By the way, I still love my jobs at age 72.

Dream about the future, but work hard today: Dream big. Set goals and make plans for the future. However, working hard today is always the first step toward realizing your dreams tomorrow. Don’t allow dreaming about tomorrow to replace living in the moment. Dreaming about the future is only productive when combined with action taken today.

Don’t dwell on past accomplishments: If you are still talking about what you did yesterday, you haven’t done much today. There is still plenty of time to build upon past successes and create more memories and achievements for your future self. In the future, you’ll cherish the memories of today.

Stop worrying: You can’t fully appreciate today if you worry too much about tomorrow. Realize that tomorrow is going to happen whether you worry about it or not. Since worry has never accomplished anything for anybody, redirect your mental energy elsewhere.

Think beyond old solutions to problems: Our world is changing so fast that most of yesterday’s solutions are no longer the right answers today. Don’t get locked into a “but that’s how we’ve always done it” mentality. Yesterday’s solutions are not today’s solutions, and they are certainly not tomorrow’s solutions.

Conquer addictions: Addictions in your life hold you hostage. They keep you from living a completely free life and pull your focus away from the moment. Seek help. Take the necessary steps. Remove their influence over your life. Allow yourself to live in the moment addiction-free.

Learning how to live in the present moment is an essential ingredient for a happy life.

If you can live only one moment at a time, you might as well make it the present.

After living in the Philippines with my family for more than 29 years, I have learned everything here. That’s why I feel at home.

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Email doringklaus@gmail.com, follow me on Facebook or LinkedIn, or visit www.germanexpatinthephilippines.blogspot.com or www.klausdoringsclassicalmusic.blogspot.com.