Today is now and tomorrow is another day, and that to live well you must live in the now.
Living in the now is easier said than done because the human mind has a tendency to focus on the past or to project itself into the future, but seldom stays in the present.
Living in the now is easier said than done because the human mind has a tendency to focus on the past or to project itself into the future, but seldom stays in the present.
Our actions or inactions are derived and
driven by our thoughts and memories of our past experiences. If those
experiences were negative, our conscious and subconscious mind will tell us to
avoid them in the future; on the other hand, if they are positive, they tend to
instruct us to repeat them in the future. Accordingly, the human mind will
constantly shuffle between the past and the future. As a result, it seldom
stays in the present moment. To illustrate, while talking on the cell phone,
how often do we talk about what happened or what we are going to do next? If we
think more deeply, the subject of our conversation mostly involves mostly the
past or the future. In a worse scenario, if you are talking or texting while
driving, your mental focus is certainly not on the now—which is driving your
car.
The first step to train your mind to focus
more on the present is to concentrate on your breathing. Most of us are totally
unaware of our breaths, unless we are short of breath after running or climbing
stairs, or due to some medical conditions that may cause difficulties in
breathing. Concentration on how you breathe in and breathe out, as well as your
body’s sensations during the inhalation and exhalation trains you to develop
mindfulness. Understand that your body is yours only, and it is always with you. Finding the moment-by-moment
relationship with your body through your breathing is your pathway to wellness
of the body, the mind, and the soul.
Mindfulness is your purposeful attention to the present moment.
This purposeful attention enables you to recognize your thoughts as they occur,
but without paying judgmental attention to them; in other words, they neither
distract nor disturb you, and you just observe them objectively, like watching a
movie about yourself unfolding before your very eyes.
Learn mindfulness from an expert who
provides a useful guide to harness the power of your mind with mental
training tools and techniques to perfect the art of mental transformation. Are
you living your life, or your life living you?
Stephen Lau
Copyright© by Stephen Lau
No comments:
Post a Comment