“Having a great time. Wish I were here.” I saw this quote on
a postcard a long time ago, and it always stuck with me. How
often are you at a party, going about your daily life, or even on
vacation without really being there? Perhaps you are still stuck in
yesterday thinking about the argument you had with your spouse
or maybe you are already in tomorrow worrying about your big
presentation.
Living in the present sounds so simple, but is actually quite
challenging. Ruminating about what happened in the past seems
to come without effort, doesn’t it? And, with so many demands
on our time, it is hard not to be thinking about the future and all
that needs to be done. How can we make it feel more natural to
simply be in this moment?
Try living in the present right now. As you are reading this
book, recognize that you are taking the time and reading a book.
Notice where you are sitting, how your body is feeling, and what
sounds you hear. Read the words on the page and just be in the
moment of reading. You have decided to take time out to read
this book, so try to be with it fully for the next few minutes. If you
are doing other things in addition to reading this book—such as
listening to music, watching TV, or eating—try doing just one
thing, reading.
Mindfulness is about being conscious of the present moment
in all that you do, filling your body’s senses with what you are
experiencing right now. Remember, you only have this moment
once in your life. You might as well savor it by fully being with the
activity you have decided to focus on. Try the Now I Am Aware
exercise to help bring you in the present moment. How can you
finish the sentence, “Now I am aware…”? For example:
Now I am aware...of the hum of the air cleaner.
Now I am aware...of a car driving by.
Now I am aware...of my dog chewing on a toy.
Now I am aware...of tightness in my neck.
Now I am aware...of an itch on my knee.
Now I am aware...of the sun streaming in the window.
Doing this exercise helps you become more present and aware
of your senses—what you are seeing, feeling, and hearing in this
moment. You can then take it one step further and allow yourself
to be in your current activity exclusively. There are times in your
life when this happens naturally because it is hard to be anywhere
else. For example, when you are riding a roller coaster or skiing
downhill, you are typically so absorbed in that activity that you are
in the now. This can even happen in a movie theater. You can be so
immersed in the movie that you don’t hear the person next to you
munching on popcorn or feel your knees stiffening up from sitting
so long.
The challenge is to bring this presence to every day activities
like washing the dishes, making the bed, walking the dog, or eating
a meal. Starting with the Now I Am Aware exercise is a great first
step to bring you into the present moment. Then allow yourself
to simply be.
The beauty of mindfulness is that it can be done anywhere
and anytime. The more we do it, the more we encourage health
and wellness by breaking the cycle of the chronic state of stress
that has become our daily lives.
In The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle says that the present
moment is where we find our joy and are able to embrace our
true selves. He says it is here that we discover we are already
complete and perfect. The beauty is that this is fully in reach for
everyone. We just have to simply be. Here. Now.
Next time I’m having a great time, I plan to be there. How about you?"
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