Living in the Moment Is a Recipe for Happiness

"Live in the moment."

We have all heard of this cliché that it has long since lost its meaning. But what if you were told that it is a way to a happier you?

Often times, people spend most of their time either being anxious or self-conscious. They rush through life without enjoying it, as a matter of fact, they let life live them instead of it be otherwise. They are concerned about and dwell in the past and tend to worry about the future. What they do not realise is that once they let go of these negative feelings and learn to live in the now - to live in the moment, then they can actually start enjoying life and be content with who they are.

Living in the moment means seizing one's ‘present’ and realise its importance and impact on one’s life – on their future. It is all about prolonging the value and quality of one's time; every second of it. Living in the moment helps one to give full attention to a task at hand without worrying about the outcomes – this assists in helping one to give quality and remarkable results. People who live in the moment usually focus on the task at hand wholeheartedly and without a doubt and find it easy to work on the mistakes they make along the way. They are usually happier and motivated than their counterparts.

One example of people who live in the moment are professional athletes. Once an athlete gets on the racing track, they tune out everything and immerse themselves on the race. They rarely acknowledge the presence of their competitors; the world and competitors disappear. It is rare to see an athlete looking behind to check on how far the other participants they have left behind have fared on the race because to them, those competitors belong there – in the past. They simply avoid the cardinal and common mistake of putting their energy on the OUTCOME FOCUS.

Living in the moment means giving full attention to:

• People one comes in contact on daily basis – listen attentively;
• Task that an individual is doing such as driving, eating, writing, giving speech, exercising or relaxing;
• One’s actions and thoughts.

In other words, living in the moment means letting go of one’s self-imposed pressure and huge expectations we have of ourselves. It helps an individual to take things easy and stop putting too much pressure on themselves which in turn eases nervousness that usually leads to low self-esteem.

One needs to understand that living in the moment does not mean that they should not make plans for and prepare for the future but for them to be conscious and aware of their presence. An individual should try by all means to avoid putting all their focus and energy on the past as it will only steal their presence and future. If one has gone through painful and traumatising past, they need to accept the past and the fact that they cannot change it and move on. They need to be optimistic about both the present and move toward the future with purpose.

Ways to live in the moment:

• Enjoy every moment you spend on any activity;
• Practise gratitude on daily basis;
• Observe and enjoy your surrounding – do not overlook it;
• Try to relax and feel peace;
• Enjoy your life.