Live in the Now
Aug 27th, 2007 by Rahul Bhambhani
Remember when you were just a child? Your only aspirations were those of wanting to be a “fireman” or a “princess” or a “ballerina”. But even these thoughts were fleeting. We didn’t spend our days pondering our futures, or reflecting on our pasts. Every day was a new life. Each day was full of opportunity, and we truly made the most of them. Wouldn’t you give anything to have that feeling of bliss back?
This raises the question; have we lost touch with our inner child, and forgotten what it means to be alive? We spend our time working our butts off in order to buy that awesome new car, or that cute new purse. Then, and only then, we can enjoy ourselves in the present moment. Then, and only then, do we let our inner child out to play again. The enjoyment lasts for a moment, and then we are off to the races; moving toward our next toy; moving toward our next enjoyment fix.
Is this all there is to life; a blur of movement followed by momentary pauses of joy and accomplishment? I’ve learned that it doesn’t have to be. Many experts in human psychology say that one of the most powerful motivational forces of human beings is the desire to be great. The bum on the street desires to be great one day. Those who are already great strive to be even greater tomorrow. You desire to be great. I desire to be great. But somewhere in the midst of this powerful desire, we forget what it means to be alive.
We find ourselves constantly striving to be something we aren’t today. We strive to make more money, we strive to build our character, we strive to find the “perfect mate”, we strive to educate ourselves in hope of finding a good job in the future. But when does this ever stop? When do we ever truly get there? When we land the job of our dreams, or find our “perfect mate”, do we just roll over in a state of bliss and proclaim to ourselves, “I’ve arrived!”? The last time you reached a goal did you arrive, or did you proceed to set your sights toward something farther off in the distance? If you answered “something farther off in the distance,” you can bet that’s the same feeling you will get when you begin achieving the momentous goals you set for yourself in your earlier days. Life is in a constant state of change. We are always, and will always be moving toward our next goal. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t live in the now.
Love each moment
Our days of childhood were great in that they were a constant state of bliss. There was no real world responsibility of having to provide for yourself and the family. Mommy and daddy took care of everything, and you just went about your business playing kickball in the middle of the street. Unfortunately, these responsibilities do exist now, and we have to be aware of them, otherwise we will end up like the bum on the street. Despite this reality, we can still live in a state of bliss similar to our childhood days. The key is to love each moment as it passes by.
Of course there will be some bad days and bad experiences, such is life; it’s always in a state of flux. However, we can minimize these moments by building our life around the things we enjoy. School and work are common sources of pain and numbness. I don’t understand why so many people spend their days in school hating school, or spend their days at work hating work. You can love these times in your life, also. Choose a major you enjoy. Choose a field of work you love. Surround yourself with positive people who make your day more fulfilling. If you’re already in a position which you don’t like, simply acknowledging the fact that it doesn’t have to remain this way is progress. Soon enough you will find yourself moving towards a more agreeable lifestyle.
I’ve spent a lot of time over the past two years living in the future. I’ve always focused on how much better the future will get, and have always been striving to improve my future. I thought and thought and thought. I ceased to live in the now, and I always felt a sensation in the back of mind telling me something wasn’t right. This summer (which is sadly dwindling to an end), I made it a point to live in the now. I surrounded myself with enjoyable activities such as martial arts, golf, reading about topics which interest me, writing these articles, and spending more time with my loved ones. I picked up meditation and began feeling more connected with the present moment. This summer has been one of great awakening for me, and I have to attribute this to the feeling of being more alive and living in the now.
Be mindful of the past and future
Living in the past and future is, for the most part, unproductive. Nothing can physically be accomplished when we dwell on the past or the future in our minds. When we spend our time reflecting on painful moments in the past, or worrying about the future, what we are really doing is taking away from our time in the present to make our lives better right now. If we’re going to dwell on the past, and postulate on the future, why not at least do it in a constructive way?
Learning from our mistakes is obviously an invaluable byproduct of being able to relive our pasts. When we choose to look into our past and evaluate our previous performances, we can gain valuable insight into how we can improve today. We learn from our mistakes, and we make corrections; forever improving our lives today. Stop punishing yourself for your past mistakes. Stop pitying yourself for the pain in your past. Find the good in every pain, mistake, and failure. Many of the most successful people in our world today proclaim this ability is the single greatest cause of their success today; they can find the good in every bad.
“The best way to predict the future is to create it.” This is a powerful statement, and as I’ve found, a powerful truth. If we do spend time in our heads contemplating the future, let’s do so constructively. Let us not waste our time worrying or wondering about where we are headed. Instead, let us assertively construct the future of our dreams in our minds, and then set out in the present to make this vision a reality. Meditating upon the future as if it were present reality is extremely powerful. See the life you want to live through your eyes in your mind. Often times you will be amazed at how your vision, in time, manifests into reality. This isn’t magic. The fact you can see it causes you to take necessary action to create it. When you woke up this morning and thought of breakfast, you saw it in your mind. You then went to the kitchen and created whatever it was you saw in your mind. You predicted the future accurately! It’s just as simple to apply this power of vision to all areas of your life and receive the same outcome. It may take more time to manifest the car of your dreams, or the house of your dreams, but in the end you will learn that you’re a pretty powerful “psychic”!
Evidently, meditating upon the past and the future should be aids which help make your present a better experience (it always comes back to the present!)
Take-away points
“Life sucks and then you die.” This doesn’t have to be your life. Your life can be filled with enjoyment, and the down moments can be the exceptions. Engulf yourself in enjoyable activities. Manifest your dreams in the present. Get back in touch with your blissful inner-child. Don’t worry about the future, or dwell on painful moments in the past. Instead, make the most of this present moment. Set your goals, achieve them, revel in your achievement; but enjoy every step along the way. I’ve chosen to look at life as a journey, not as a destination. I’ve also chosen to look at success as a direction you choose, and not some place at which you “arrive”. These are extremely empowering mindsets. Remember, this is the only moment in your life that you are alive. Once it is gone, you will never get it back. So love it, embrace it, and make the most of it.
As Goethe once said, “Nothing is worth more than this day.”
Please leave a donation if you find this article helpful so you can enjoy the spirit of giving too.