Be Here Now
We all live busy lives. We have firm meetings, Zoom meetings, client meetings, social functions, court dates, and a whole host of personal commitments. We have work and personal email accounts, text strings, phone calls and a variety of other conversations throughout our day. It is easy to get overwhelmed with all the demands on our time and just shift to an autopilot mode where we are simply checking boxes without really even stopping to notice what we are doing from minute to minute. Our focal attention is often not directed at the very thing we are doing right here and right now. Studies have shown that we spend half of our time thinking about something other than what we are doing in the moment.
When we go into that autopilot mode, we are missing out on the pleasure and satisfaction of the present moment. When we are thinking about our past or living in the future, we are living in a world that does not even really exist. The past is gone. We cannot change events that have already happened. The future is uncertain, and control is an illusion. The future events and circumstances that we worry about often never come to fruition.
There is another way to live. There is a way to be present in the moments of our lives and truly experience the amazing things that are happening in every moment. But it is not something that comes naturally. It takes practice and intention. It is called mindfulness.
Mindfulness is nothing more than giving your focal attention to what is happening in the present moment and doing so without judgment. By its very nature, it is a perpetual process that continues to play out in every moment of our day. Think about the beginning of your day. You wake up and brush your teeth. Are you present in that moment or are you thinking about the meeting that you have that morning or what you are going to eat for breakfast? You then take a shower. Are you present in that moment and enjoying the rejuvenating and refreshing feel of the water or are you thinking about the brief that is due that day? If you are like me, you are probably thinking about anything other than what you are actually doing in those simple moments. The only way to break that cycle is to intentionally stop yourself and notice your thoughts and then shift your attention to what you are doing.
When you stop yourself and shift your thoughts to what you are doing in that moment, take the time to notice with your senses. What smells, sounds, tastes, sights, sensations and emotions are you experiencing? If what you sense is something that you perceive or would describe as negative, can you observe that without judgment. For example, if you are stuck in traffic, can you just stop and notice what is happening without judgment or anger. I cite this example because this, for me, is probably the hardest place to observe a present moment without having a negative judgment, perception or response. When this happens, you can still shift your thoughts by simply observing that you are having a negative reaction. It is just a thought you are having. Observe that thought and notice how you are thinking or feeling in that moment. When I am able to do that sitting in traffic, I find that it takes the power out of the negative emotion or thought. Rather than having the negative thought, I can substitute that thought with a thought that is just an observation of what is happening in the moment. But it takes presence, intention and practice to do this. In the therapeutic field, this practice is known as mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. It has been shown to reduce the symptoms of anxiety and depression.
So, if you feel like your life is just passing you by day by day without joy and meaning, think about turning off the autopilot. Get present in your own life. The next time you are washing your hands, wash your hands. The next time you are having a conversation with someone, have the conversation with that person and give it your full attention.
