“Nothing is more precious than being in the present moment. Fully alive, fully aware.” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh
Being present takes practice. It may be the most difficult thing you’ve ever done. So how do we practice? The first step is to make a shift from thinking to aware presence. This happens by becoming the observer of your thoughts. You pause, observe if your mind has taken you to a movie; a story created in your head. You become the awareness of seeing the past and the future come in. Then you come back to where you are at the present moment. The present moment is as it is. Always. Can you let it be? Can you enjoy it? Can you learn from it?
The human condition is lost in thought. Why are we so afraid of looking at what is right in front of us here and now? If you don’t feel comfortable in the present moment no matter where you are or where you go, you will always carry unease with you. But when you deeply accept this moment as it is, no matter what, you are still, you are at peace.
Being present doesn’t mean that you are not learning from the past or planning for the future. When your mind focuses on a past event you become the teacher: what did you learn, how can you become better from it. When your mind dives into the future you become the fisherman and reel it in to focus on that one catch.
The beautiful thing is that you are in control of your thoughts and the present moment keeps showing up to give you a second chance.
