Living in the present moment - Part 1

How many of us live our life constantly thinking about things to be done, targets to be achieved, time to be spent with family members, commitments to be followed and keep hoping between guilt, shame and regret? Why we are not happy and content even though we multitask & stretch our limits? Have we ever wondered what’s the reason of all this & how do we break free to live a peaceful, meaningful life and yet accomplish everything?

The reason of all this is our ceaseless & over thinking.

Research shows that 80 to 90% of person’s thinking is only repetitive which mainly comprises of past experiences and future projections. We conveniently forget that past is already gone and future is yet to come.

How many times it happens that we are into any activity but mentally get caught up thinking about something else? This continuous thinking pattern has become habitual. We experience emotions in response to our thoughts and these emotions breeds the similar thoughts.

Most of the time we keep thinking about things never happened or should have happened differently and keep getting anxious about things which may never happen. This in turn creates more anxiety, worry & fear within us because our emotional response masks our ability to see things the way they are. We keep operating out of judgments and projections. For example…if you have been judgmental about your boss being critical during any meeting or presentation in the past then you are most likely to project and experience similar situations in the future. Here we are operate out of past & expect the future.

How do we break this vicious cycle? We can’t shut down our mind to stop thinking and get on with life. We need to break such thinking pattern. The best & effective way is to anchor ourselves in the NOW. By engaging in the present moment mindfully. Because all we ever have is NOW. This moment.

Try this…..

Do each and every thing mindfully since the time you get up in the morning. For example try to be fully present when you brush your teeth, prepare a breakfast, take a shower or even pack your bag for work. You tend to have less thoughts about anything else when you are totally present doing what you need to do in that moment. Engage with your full attention.

When you are planning for something or making your to do list, do it whatever is necessary in that moment and move on. No need to keep on thinking about it even though you are done with it.

Being in present moment frees us completely. It builds a deeper connection with the inner being & gives us super clarity of thought.

Another way to be present is to be aware of your breath as soon as you catch yourself in spiral of thought. Observe your breath for few times and it will calm you down. Meditating daily for 5 to 10 minutes will also help to calm the mental chatter.

Thank you.