If you were to spend a lot of time with me a few years ago, you would have observed the serious and worry side of me. Today that side is still there but in a lessor degree because it gets replaced by a conscious effort to be present in the moment.
Those worries were varied, I could be walking around the supermarket looking for the diced tomato’s but instead my mind would be clouded with many troublesome thoughts all brought about from the complex issues around separation and shared parenting. I learned that our mind play games and we think about negative things that might never happen, in fact 95% of the time they never do.
Being present is one of the most talked about mental dynamics in spiritual life, and that it may be the single most important concept of living if your goal is to be happy and effective. In the absence of being present, we can live in a world of fear, anticipation, regret, anxiety and stress.
Our minds can take us back to the past, reminding us of painful times and our world of troubles, as well as into the future as it did with me, encouraging me to worry and stress.
I have learned to clear my mind and be present these days and i now carry less stress, not only for myself but everyone around me is happier. When your mind is present in the moment, we are less distracted with thoughts of what “might” happen or the negative intentions of other people. We don’t get overwhelmed with negative reminders of hurtful experiences. Instead, when we are present, we simply get on with what needs to be done now, we are focused on the present moment. If you are visiting a friend or you have your kids with you, you listen to them intently and with respect rather than allow your mind to wonder elsewhere.
It took quiet along time to get a handle on being present. It is not something that I read then implemented the next day, it took practice, but we all have the power to do it. When our minds wonder from here to there, thinking about problems, becoming overwhelmed by thoughts of past or future drama’s. Its like we get lost in the content of our own thinking, and we don’t even realise it is happening, it just happens.
But i have learned and you can too that we have the power to recognise our own thinking when its taking us to a place we don’t want to go. When we do, we’re able to bring our attention back to the moment – to what ever we are doing or whoever we are with. With regular practise and when you can do this, you will notice that what ever your dealing with will be far less stressful.
Being present will reduce the stress you feel even if your handling a serious issue at that moment.
It is about consciously knowing how we can contribute or exacerbate the painful experiences in our lives by failing to recognise when our mind is taking us to a painful place. For example: We might be doing ok financially but are worrying ourself sick about saving for retirement. Being more present is not saying don’t plan for your retirement but rather a way of moving through your life effectively without it ruining or magnifying the issue today.
My life today is easier, things that used to drive me crazy don’t so much nowadays, by practising being more present orientated, it has brought me peace of mind and less stress 🙂 have you been able to master this yet? let us know so that others can learn from your experiences too.
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