The Exclusive Art of Truly Living in the Present Moment

The Exclusive Art

of Truly Living in the Present Moment

from our Angel Messenger Creative Team

We live in an age of chaos and distraction and often get caught up in a whirlwind of thoughts that in actuality have nothing to do with the present moment.  Most people are chronically stressed and worry about things in the future or problems of the past.   We rarely live fully in the moment and it is this magical moment that is the birth of joy and in reality, it is all that really exists.  When we are stressed we are always thinking about something in the past or future that cannot be done now.

Buddha’s Words of Wisdom

Buddha stated it best when he said: “The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, nor to worry about the future, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly.”  Well, this truly is the secret to a healthy and happy life but it is much easier said than done.  In reality, our modern day lives are hectic and it is easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of trying to create a good future for ourselves.   Ironically in trying to create a future for ourselves, the beauty and joy of the moment will often pass us by.

Dealing with the Stresses of Life

Life has become so hectic for most of us that we are constantly bouncing around from one thought or text to the next, caught up in our minds and what we are supposed to do and how we are supposed to behave.   Our cultural mindset is a reflection of the hectic world around us and mild to moderate stress has become the norm; we don’t think we are really stressed because stress has become a normal part of our everyday lives.   The reason for this is our culture does not really value love, joy, and happiness; instead, it seems to value, money, greed, getting ahead and material attainment. After all, if we were content and feeling the love and joy of fully living in the moment then we would not be productive citizens.  The real problem is we no longer value love and joy and give these qualities a negative hippie label; when in reality on a deeper level we are all craving more love and joy in our lives.

The Secret of Joy & Happiness

Joy and happiness are funny things, you cannot hold onto or grasp them, nor can they be controlled;  they just flow through us and emanates out of the present moment.    Culturally we try to grab joy and happiness by grasping for some future goal when in reality the only true road to happiness is to be loving in the present moment; as this beautiful present moment is all we really have.

Children know this best and we should all learn from children for they are the masters of living in the moment.  Think of yourself as a child or imagine children playing outside in nature; they are fully living in the moment, expressing their bodies fully and letting the raw emotions of joy and happiness to penetrate their entire body and being.    Emotions and feeling of joy are not in our minds but more like energy fields that we tap into and that flow through our mind and body.    A child is not always happy, in fact, they can get really angry very quickly, but if you notice this anger can also dissipate quickly.   As adults, we hold onto our anger and frustration and eventually, it becomes a part of our being.   Recent research into the mind is showing us that our minds are more plastic than we once thought, and if we shift and change our thoughts our minds can be rewired to feel more joy and happiness.  The first step is to realize that we are caught up in our minds and that the real answer lies in bringing more love and joy into the present moment.

The Sages Knew it Best

Mindfulness or the art of living in the present is at the root of Buddhism, Taoism, many Indigenous traditions, and it is also a crucial part of Hindu Yogic practices. The sages of the world throughout time knew it best, the question really is how do we learn to live much more fully in the present moment so that we can experience more joy and happiness flowing through us?  Mindfulness meditation is a good start to learning how to live in the present and if you are not familiar with various forms of meditation then I encourage you to explore it as a training point for learning how to be more present.

How to Live More Fully in the Present Moment

The sages throughout the ages have all spoken about meditation and its benefits, but what a lot of people do not know is that the ultimate goal of meditation is to bring meditative awareness into all aspects of our daily lives; the end result being living life fully present in a loving, compassionate and aware way.

Active meditations are probably one of the best ways to learn to be more present.  What I mean by active meditation is to try and remember to be mindful throughout your day.  If you notice that you are stressed and not present, then try to become aware of the moment,  notice your breathing, your body, the room you are in or the natural sounds around you.

The key is trying to stay relaxed and if you notice that you are stressed, then try and take a couple of deep breaths and try to bring your awareness into your immediate surroundings.  Try to be like the child playing in nature and try to find the joy in the present moment.

If you can’t feel or see the joy in the present moment, then rest assured you are stressed and are not having loving thoughts towards yourself, others or your present environment.   Retraining your mind to be more loving in the moment is not an easy task, but if you practice regularly you will start to experience more joy in your life.   Even Buddha was not joyful all the time as that is not possible in the human state of existence.  We are bound to get irritated or frustrated at things as this is normal,  the trick is to not embody and hold onto negative feeling states, watch them like clouds in the sky, and instead try to look for and feel the beauty and magic of the present moment.

Everyday Tricks for Living More in the Present Moment

  • Smile & Laugh More
  • Take Notice of the Little Things in Life
  • Be Thankful
  • Stop Worrying
  • Relax in Music & Dance More
  • Try to Be More Playful
  • Slow Down
  • Try and Focus in the Now
  • Perform a random Act of Kindness
  • Focus on Happy Things
  • Learn to work through your Anxiety about the Future
  • Know you are Not Your Thoughts
  • Focus on the Task at Hand
  • Go for Walks & Spend More Time in Nature
  • Practice Mindfulness Meditation throughout your day
  • Accept Yourself as You Are
  • Surrender to the Joy of the Moment
  • Look for the Love and Joy in Everything Around Yourself

We will leave you with a few quotes from the Chinese Philosopher Lao Tzu, the author of the Tao Te Ching.

 When I let go of what I am I become what I might be

 Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them- that only creates sorrow.  Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.

By letting it go it all gets done.  The world is won by those who let it go. But when you try and try. The world is beyond the winning.

I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures

Much Love & Angel Blessings,

Angel Messenger

About Angel Messenger Creative Team

Our team includes amazing spiritual writers who desire to help people on their path toward spiritual growth and enlightenment. We also create based on Rev. Sheri's ideas as well as questions received from our audience.

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