Living in the “Now” is more than just a new-age voodoo ritual or something a guy named Buddha dreamed up 2,500 years ago; it is a fantastic way to live. Being out of the moment is when your mind is somewhere your body is not.
Let’s start with the past. The past has passed-it’s done, finito, over! All the anger, cussing and tears cannot change history. No matter how much time, effort and energy you spend on trying to alter it, the past is not open for change. Why climb into the boxing ring and get slapped around by events gone by? Living in the past just wastes fresh tears on old problems.
Some of us get stuck on the “Good Old Days Syndrome,” where everything in the past was so much better. Gas was cheaper, people were more honest and the government wasn’t so corrupt. Times change, so suck it up and deal with it. All you have is this moment-right now.
Then there are those of us who seem to live exclusively in the future. We postpone our pleasures and happiness, hoping for a better tomorrow. But why leave your fun to some day in the future? Someday is not a day of the week. Will everything be OK when you finally buy a house? Then will you be happy? When you lose ten pounds? When you get your new job or your new car? When you get a new hairdo? Then will your life be great? Why put off your happiness until a later date like Friday night or Sunday morning or this summer or next winter? When people retire, they begin to golf, travel and live life to the fullest. Why wait till retirement? That would be silly.
Avoid placing your happiness in a future time zone, because if a piano hits you before you get to live your life, you are going to be really upset. Plan for a great future, but that’s all you can do. Having fun is not the final song, it’s the whole concert.
So you can’t change the past and you can’t predict the future. All you have is right now. To be here now gives you all kinds of benefits. Staying present helps you to enjoy and focus on the task at hand. Being in the moment will increase your work efforts, your capacity to communicate and, best of all, your ability to embrace life and love it.
The more you can become aware of your now moments, the more fun you can have. I love whitewater rafting. When I’m in the front of the boat and the wind is blowing, the water is rushing beneath the rubber floor and there’s a ten-foot wave coming my way, the very last thing on my mind is any kind of trivial worry. When that wave hits, all I am concerned about is enjoying the adrenaline and excitement of the ride. Enjoying life keeps me right in the middle of the moment.
The more fun activities and good times you partake in, the less the Mind Poo can sneak in. Mind Poo plays a big part in letting you regret the past and worry about the future. A great way to stay in the moment when the Mind Poo’s chatting up a storm inside your head is to ask yourself out loud, “What does this have to do with right now?” Just keep asking yourself that question until you say the answer is: “Nothing.” Don’t let Mind Poo destroy your moments.
There is nothing wrong with looking at the past, just don’t dwell on it. The future is a celebration of possibilities, so thinking happy thoughts about it is encouraged. Enjoy everything you can, while you can. You never know when your life will end or your circumstances will change. Climb more mountains, take more trips, watch more sunsets, tell your friends that you love them, start that art class or go running up and down the street naked.
Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. There is only now, and if you’re too busy living in the wrong moment, you may never get another chance. What if something tragic were to happen and you became dead? Could you leave here satisfied that you’d enjoyed your life? Play in life on every level and enjoy your life right now, today. You never know when it can be taken away from you.
It doesn’t matter what your religious beliefs are, the Now moment is a magical place. Being in the moment somehow helps you to connect to your spiritual self. Spend a moment to feel the sun on your face, to smell the wind, to hear the birds and to see life unfold. We certainly want to be in the moment when driving down the road, so use that nowness whenever you can. Greet every moment with appreciation and delight right now. Being focused on the moment will expand your pleasure of it.
Be unrelenting and uncompromising in your pursuit of happiness. Get rid of the problems that take you out of the moment. If you’re down at the beach and you’re worried about getting your taxes done, then get home and do your taxes. Don’t try fooling yourself into having fun if you’re ignoring chores that need to be taken care of. Take care of those Mind-Poo triggers and get living again.
One day you will no longer be here; one day you may no longer have your mobility. Now is the time to enjoy life because, yes, it could get better, but it could get a lot worse too. No matter how your life is, whether you perceive it as pleasurable or miserable, those feelings will not last forever. There will always be an assortment of experiences that can bring you happiness, sadness or both. The real fun in life is in the journey, to enjoy each and every moment. Appreciate that life is fragile and that there may never be a moment quite like this one. Never under any circumstances be happy tomorrow when you could be happy today.
Ted Schredd has appeared on television, radio and print across Canada and the US. His career as a FUN researcher has led him to guest on Vicki Gabereau, Dini Petty, Mike Bullard, and MTV. Ted's latest book, "Gramma Knows the F Word – How adults can discover more fun in their lives" is available at Amazon.com; at discoverfun.com; or at your local bookstore. If you would like Mr. Schredd to speak to your organization please contact 1-888-SUCH FUN or go to www.discoverfun.com.