Going Moment To Moment

Outwardly, I appear to be an organized person.

I am diligent and doing well in my line of work.

I tend to keep my planner up-to-date as much as I possible can, leaving room for unexpected changes that tend to happen in life from day to day.

I don't like to be rushed and tend to show up for my appointments on time, if not early.

As a naturally "with-it" type person, you would assumed when I began meditating regularly that my thoughts would be as orderly as my day, that emptying my mind would be as simple as sorting through and preparing for a typical day.

In reality, it can be difficult to quiet the constant stream of thoughts, plans, images, judgments, and story lines most of us don't even realize are playing in our heads. And instead of sifting through the files of my mind and putting them in order to better navigate all that is taking place, I tend to just empty my thoughts into the "recycle bin" of my mind and let it stay there until I need it.

Allowing oneself to simply exist, to fully experience a moment, is a difficult but worthwhile undertaking and to do so we need to be able to embrace the thoughts that are taking place in our minds. And to sort them out as best we can through journaling, speaking, or just meditating.

If we can't stop thinking about what a terrible speaker we are or how inexperience we are at fitness, we are wasting valuable energy by making ourselves anxious. I don't know about you, but I'd much rather watch an enthusiastic speaker make a few mistakes than one who seems on the verge of tears out of fear during a presentation.

A few tips on how to embrace our thoughts in the moment:

• Try to avoid worrying about the future, focus on the present (savoring) – We get up and workout and think, this is not as good as what I did yesterday. Where is the enjoyment there?

 

• To make the most of time, lose track of it (flow) – Have you ever sat down, started in on a task, and become so fully absorbed in what you were doing that hours passed without your notice? Most people have attained this state, which psychologists call "flow," at one point or another while doing something they find engaging and enjoyable. Your intentional focus narrows, self-consciousness evaporates. You feel as if your awareness merges with the action you are working on. You feel a sense of personal mastery over the situation, and the activity is so intrinsically rewarding that although the task is difficult, action feels effortless.

 

• Bothered by something, move toward it rather than away from it (acceptance) – It is human nature to avoid unpleasant situations. However, this quote gives us interesting insight: "…feelings like disappointment, embarrassment, irritation, resentment, anger, jealousy, and fear, instead of being bad news, are actually very clear moments that teach us where it is that we're holding back. They teach us to perk up and lean in when we feel we'd rather collapse and back away. They're like messengers that show us, with terrifying clarity, exactly where we're stuck. This very moment is the perfect teacher, and, lucky for us, it's with us wherever we are."

 

• Know that you don't know (engagement) – If we know everything already, if our days are routine and predictable, where is the excitement in that? Why bother being curious about anything? Again, this quote puts it well: "We long to have some reliable, comfortable ground under our feet, but we've tried a thousand ways to hide and a thousand ways to tie up all the loose ends, and the ground just keeps moving under us." We need to embrace the unexpected in the here and now of our day and most of all in our lives.

 

• When interacting with others, friends, family, co-workers, significant other or spouse, learn to inhabit the present (breathe) – Mindfulness makes people less aggressive and more aware of their feelings, as well as their interactions with other people. Focusing on the present frees one up to respond "thoughtfully rather than automatically".

Cultivating an awareness of the present has a host of benefits within the mind and body:

1. Reduces stress
2. Boosts immune functioning
3. Reduces chronic pain
4. Lowers blood pressure
5. Reduces the risk of heart disease
6. Reduces impulsivity and negative reactivity

Mindful people are happier, more exuberant, more empathetic, and more secure. They have higher self-esteem and are more accepting of their own weaknesses.

So, what are we waiting for?

We need to focus on now as we move forward into what the future holds while enjoying the very moment we are in.