Table of contents hide 1 Why live here and now 2 Live here and now: What stops you 3 Practices that help you live in the moment 4 Maintain a daily attitude of gratitude 5 Value your time 6 Find a moment to eliminate distractions 7 Learn to appreciate the beauty of small things
“There are only two days in the year when nothing can be done. One is called yesterday and the other one tomorrow. Therefore, today is the ideal day to love, believe, do and mainly, live. ”
Dalai Lama
We have heard a lot about the importance of living the present . However, the here and now is an abstract concept. And usually, every abstract concept comes with the possibility of not being properly understood.
The Carpe Diem is perhaps one of the most groped and poorly focused concepts, due to the ambiguity of its content.
So, in order not to make mistakes, we will propose a concept for living here and now that enables us to evolve and grow spiritually.
Living here and now has to do with being present, experiencing the moment you are going through. It does not depend on the moment, but on us and our ability so that whatever the event of the present moment is composed of, we can experience it thoroughly to get the most out of it . So, living here and now has nothing to do with an urgency to modify the moment capriciously and do everything we want without thinking about consequences. This is an empty and flat interpretation, completely superficial and lends itself to not being able to identify the process that is really taking place inside us.
Here we are going to talk about a slightly deeper sense of this, and that in turn is necessary to reach a state of fullness and tranquility . Something that can help us cope with our lives in a more enriching way.
Why live here and now
Most of us (and I'm leaving a margin here, because people never cease to amaze me) are in a vital search for a simple and continuous happiness . From the hand of that happiness, we can be present in the here and now, and live each moment consciously .
But as human beings, we have a series of needs that must be met as a prerequisite before reaching this happiness. These needs are to have something to eat, water, have where to rest, etc. Once these primary conditions are satisfied, we should be ready to focus on the here and now.
However, it is not enough. We always want more .
In fact, we have an incredible ability to adapt to what we already have, and our thirst leads us to look for something else now. We live coiled in a spiral of yearnings that never ends, because it is not in our nature to reach a full state of satiety .
Of course you will celebrate that new job, that new house or car that you have so desired, but that " happiness " never lasts too long. It disappears as fast as it was generated to give way back to a search state.
Well, an interesting fact is that this psychological process has a name. It is called Hedonic Adaptation, and it is what makes what we wanted so much to get bored at some point after getting it.
That adaptation is part of our nature and if we do not become aware of it, it constantly prevents us from living in the present.
Live here and now: What stops you
Well, now we know. However, that is only the beginning to start living the present.
This happiness that we seek many times is determined by something in particular that has to happen sometime later . Some event, thing or person in the future will bring us happiness to our lives and allow us to enjoy every moment, live the present in fullness. And so, we live with an eye on that which never comes, and if it arrives, thanks to the hedonic adaptation it becomes something everyday and the object of our happiness becomes something else.
Meanwhile, events are happening one after the other without waiting for you to observe them. They slip like sand between their fingers and get lost .
In addition, we have the ability to bring the focus of our attention to certain events that have occurred in the past and constantly bring them to our head . Traumatic situations, bad decisions, or negative things that have happened to us only by chance are remembered one and victimize us. Willfully or unintentionally, we get rid of the responsibility of experiencing what today has for us, and of taking an attitude about it that edifies our lives. For those caught by events of the past, we can learn a lot from the 4 Hindu laws of spirituality.
The here and now is constantly unfolding, all the time. It is flowing right now . And we regret the past or live dissatisfied going from a desired future to another snatch us.
Practices that help live the moment
Practically, living here and now is something totally attainable, fortunately. But it requires the constitution of certain habits that must be carried out every day. And as long as you practice them, you will notice the difference.
Maintain a daily attitude of gratitude
This is fundamental. If you take the first five minutes of the day to write down the things for which you feel grateful, your brain will get used to looking for those things, however small, that make you happy and bring them to your mind. Even if you feel that there is nothing good in your life right now, make the effort. As you practice this every time you will find it less difficult to find those reasons for happiness.
It is also good that you not only repeat them in your mind, but write them down on paper. The brain has the ability to store what it reads for longer than a thought that only crosses.
Value your time
Your time is your true capital. Take advantage of it .
Work what you have to work and dedicate time to your life and your people.
Read that book you like and you never find the time to dedicate it carefully. Or go out and take a walk in the park, letting the sun illuminate your face. Physical exercise is also essential to lead a life in balance. It is an excellent therapy for emotional problems and helps us keep our minds young and thus think more clearly.
Take care of your self-esteem, and don't let another person have your time as if it was worthless. Remember that the clock keeps turning and nobody can give you back that time that makes you lose.
Find a time to eliminate distractions
Today, technological advances constantly abstract us. So, something that can mean a break is finding 15 minutes at some time of the day to eliminate all those distractions . Turn off your phone, TV, computer, everything that can blur your attention and be present here and now. Spend a moment of tranquility with yourself, with friends or with your partner.
Something that undoubtedly brings us to the present is the practice of mindfulness meditation, ideal to be carried out in these small moments.
Learn to appreciate the beauty of small things
Life is full of details that never receive our attention . It may also be the same hedonic adaptation, but the truth is that it does not take away beauty.
The smell of wet earth, the wind running through the leaves. Nature has a way of flowing that is older than any discipline, religion and belief we may have. It is older than the origin of life, older than our planet. Much older than us. Watch her.
The beauty of an attitude of solidarity towards another person. Few things are as profitable as giving something to someone who needs it. Finding a way to give without expecting anything in return, if only our time, our company, is to contribute something positive to the world and participate in the beauty of life.
We believe that the present is an ephemeral moment, but the truth is that it is continuous and dynamic . We are the present at every moment, but we can lose ourselves if we do not learn to be here and now.
It is time to change the way we perceive the present.
It's in your hands.
AUTHOR: Lucas, editor in the big family of hermandadblanca.org
SOURCES:
- https://mejorconsalud.com/4-claves-psicologicas-vivir-en-el-aqui-y-el-ahora/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedonic_treadmill
- https://www.wanderlustworker.com/how-to-be-present-the-5-steps-for-living-in-the-here-and-now/
- https://lamenteesmaravillosa.com/el-arte-de-vivir-aqui-y-ahora/
