Living in the HERE AND NOW...

In this blog, I wanted to speak about choosing to live in the present moment. Along my journey, I learned that living in the present moment means being fully present, conscious, and mindful of what is happening right now. So, if I am physically doing one thing but mentally thinking about something else in that exact moment, then I'm not fully present. I'm not conscious or fully experiencing what I'm doing. A part of being in the present moment is understanding that there are three spaces I can mentally be in at any given moment. THE PAST, THE HERE AND NOW, and the FUTURE. If I constantly think about the past, it keeps me from fully experiencing and embracing the present moment. When I'm always thinking about the future, it keeps me from fully experiencing and embracing my present moment. When I realized the past was gone, I couldn't relive it, and the future hadn't come yet, I started appreciating the beauty of my present moment because it's all I have. It is the only space that does not consist of time. The present moment is the only space where I can entirely create and experience the unfolding of my life. Once I fully understood this, my life became fluent, and I no longer felt like there was never enough time to do everything I wanted. I realized that what I focused on and put my attention into began to expand and manifest in my life as I created from my present moment.

While living in the present moment, I can no longer change the past, and I can't change the future; I can only make changes right NOW. I realized that I can leave the past in the past when I forgive, heal, and grow from it. When I realized my past does not define me or what I do today, I could start using it as a reference. I no longer have to disconnect from the present moment because I'm holding on to or being affected by the past. When it comes to my future, I realized it was okay to have and/or make goals, but staying in the present moment helped me not only enjoy my life NOW while working toward those goals, but also create the steps I need to take NOW to achieve them.

Overall, staying in the present moment helps me stay centered in my life, within myself, and in a place of joy, gratitude, and acceptance of where I am now—making and enjoying the current moments of my life. The past and the future help create the cycles of life that we go through but have no real power over the present moment. What I experience in the present moment is the only experience that matters. What I do and create in the present moment shapes who I will be and what I will do moving forward. Since the past is gone and I'm not guaranteed the future, why not fully live in the HERE AND NOW, where I can enjoy my life while creating experiences that will help make the life I truly want to live moment by moment.

7/12/20