There is a drive within us that asks us to directly experience life and to comprehend this experience more intimately than we can through any idea, concept, memory, or imagination. When our minds are fully present, we feel connected to life and everything in it and that we are part of and in it.
We want to be in a state of flow, where it is difficult to distinguish between the subject and the action we are taking, and with it, all notions of time disappear. In the end, we want to return to the state of harmony that we seem to remember psychologically.
More specifically, we must feel the present moment. This is necessary because the mind's constant wandering and a lack of awareness of the present moment create the impression of unhappiness, emptiness, deficiency, and falsehood, much like ghosts as opportunities pass in front of our eyes without being noticed.
When they realize what they have missed out on in their lives, many people experience intense regret. It's like winning a ticket to the greatest adventure you could ever have—to miss the focus and enjoy the moment. You ultimately opt not to go, though. So, when the opportunity arises, we must be present in order to experience the adventure.
Living in the present and in the current moment entails engaging in some fundamental practices, the most crucial of which is experiencing what is going on with our senses, sensing what our body feels both internally and externally, and being aware of what we see, smell, taste, and hear in the same moment. This entails sensing feelings and sensations directly through the body rather than as they are interpreted by our minds.
Being present means paying attention to the present moment solely because it arises through our senses, without judgment or interpretation, and avoiding thoughts of the past or the future.
Feeling the present means not being completely immersed in thought, but it also does not necessitate the complete absence of thought, nor does it imply that the mind stops producing ideas, because ideas are not a problem in living the present.
No matter how present we are in the moment, thoughts come and go, so being present with them requires being aware of their existence while refusing to give in to them. In other words, understanding these ideas' structure and progression without getting caught up in their content or concerns.
Being present in the present moment entails directly feeling what is going on in the body through the senses and paying attention to what is going on in the mind. Simultaneously, living in the present entails experiencing everything that is happening in the present moment without anticipating where this moment will take us. Being present directs our attention to the present moment without attempting to link it to a desired outcome.
This subtler aspect of life is something that many of us struggle with. We all have the desire to make positive changes in our lives and lead them in ways that will help us achieve our goals. Because we are present-focused, a part of us occasionally unconsciously keeps track of the passing seconds. In the larger trajectory of our lives, the present is where it all begins. The present is closely connected to an imagined future in our linear world.
This linear frame gives off a subtle, sometimes imperceptible energy that prompts us to alter our behavior and reap the rewards.
We also can't be sure that it's safe to completely ignore the present, to accept this moment as our final destination, and to live entirely in the present moment because the present and the future are always intertwined. Therefore, you must be present without using this moment to transition to a specific destination or to prove or disprove something we imagine.
Being fully present means attending to everything that is related to the present moment as if it were the last moment. A finished and complete moment, a clear picture of everything, is counting the present time as if it were the link between the past and the future.
Living with full presence and deep impact means having the confidence that you can suffice with life, and it will suffice with you, by living it effortlessly moment by moment. You can live life, like a string of pearls, smoothly and easily in a sequence of interconnected present moments. Giving up the notion that we are compelled to live our lives in order to further some agenda requires turning to this kind of presence.
On an emotional and mental level, we start to realize that simply taking care of our present lives is the best way to take care of the future and where we want to end up when we pay attention to our senses without judgment, interpretation, or planning and refrain from diving into thought. It's a lot simpler than we imagined.
The best way to live a happy life is to pay attention to the present moment, followed by the next and the next, in contrast to everything we have been taught. The only way we can understand this is through practice, because all we really need is to be focused and present in the moment.
Practices that help you be more present
You should allot yourself some time each day to step away from fantasy, the sensation of reality, and the moment in which you are living. Try to synchronize your feelings with reality and live the feelings of comfort, calmness, joy, or any other feelings that arise whenever you focus your attention on the reality of the present moment.
And as you go about your day, search for the hidden inspiration that pushes you to live the present moment as a means to an end. You should also search for the inspiration to be or live in the present moment, feel the feelings of surrender to it without thinking about or making plans for the future, and treat it as the only option.
Give yourself permission to think about just one thing—how to be present and feel the present moment—the entire day. View it as an experiment to see if focusing on the present moment alone is sufficient to lead a fulfilling life.
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