10 Ways to Live in the Now and Reawaken to the Present Moment

We’re all born into this world with a firm grip on living in the moment.  As infants we have yet to be conditioned to worry about the past, the future, or what others may think of us.  No matter the time or place we freely cry aloud, smile, laugh, pass gas, stare at people, and play with our toes.

We curiously observe everything that is a part of our world in the present moment—grabbing, touching, tasting, exploring new things and experiencing life with an ultimate sense of wonder.  But somewhere along the way, we’re taught to change our approach to life.

We are encouraged to behave in a more “civilized” manner so that we fit in and gain the acceptance of society.  It becomes more important to make others comfortable with our presence than it is to just be.

We learn to dwell on the past, becoming consumed and distressed by regrets for what has happened.  We learn to obsess over the future, fearing what may or may not become.  In fact, we learn to spend the overwhelming majority of our lives doing everything except living.

With time and conditioning, most of us forget our spiritual selves and our purpose for coming into these physical bodies.  We forget that we are the miraculous creators of our reality, allowing ourselves to become observers and victims instead.  We forget to live.  And ultimately, we begin to just exist.

I don’t know about you, but I’m not willing to let this conditioning control my life.  So, let’s look at a few ways that we can all reawaken and start living in the now.

1. Take a skip rather than a walk. Yes, it looks juvenile and the neighbors may laugh.  However, a moment of acting like a child, carefree and unapologetically silly, may be just what it takes to bring you back to life.
2. Deliberately bring yourself face to face with something that you fear. It may be anything—spiders, snakes, airplanes, falling in love, or skydiving.  You can start in a controlled environment and increasingly expose yourself or just jump right in to face that fear.  This may not instantly free you of future fear regarding the circumstance, but the future is not where you want to focus.  Concentrate on your now, appreciating the sense of empowerment and pride that comes with your courageous act.
3. Get lost on the open road. Skip the pre-trip planning and just start driving—to no particular destination and with no intention other than to find something unfamiliar to appreciate.
4. Open up to diversity. Challenge yourself to develop a friendship with someone of a social, cultural, or ethnic background that is different from anyone you’ve previously befriended.  This is a wonderful way to learn and grow through increasing your understanding of others.
5. Spread hugs and love. The next time someone is immensely pissing you off, reach over and hug them with as much sincerity as you can muster.
6. Drop the routine. Change something that you normally do the same way every single day.  Nothing takes the excitement out of life like monotony, so challenge yourself to spice it up a bit.
7. Release bitter resentment. Write a forgiveness letter to someone who you’re holding a grudge against. Resentment requires an immense focus on the past, thus inhibiting your ability to live in the now.  So, acknowledge your feelings and take back your life as you write.  Frame the letter and keep it to remind yourself that you have the strength to forgive.
8. Hang with kids. Spend a little time swinging, sliding, and climbing on the monkey bars at your local park.  The joy that comes from letting go and having child-like fun makes it impossible to focus on anything other than the present.
9. Stop waiting on the perfect moment. Think of something you’d love to do if you had more time, money, and other resources—and find a way to get started right now.  The perfect time to start may never seem to show up, so stop waiting on it.
10. Laugh at yourself. As adults, we tend to take ourselves way too seriously. So, stop it just for a moment. Take a chance on doing something that you’re not good at and have fun laughing at yourself if you really suck.  Another good idea is to do something silly like dress up as a clown or wear a ridiculous hat.

If your thoughts are focused primarily on the past and the future, please wake up and realize that you are missing out on life.  The list above is no way comprehensive, but you can use it as a guide to start setting yourself free.  Reawaken yourself to the present moment, by whatever means necessary.

Life is not happening previously.  Life is not yet to come.  Life is always, 100% of the time happening right NOW.

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Tagged as: Consciousness, Life lessons, Life skills