How to Live in the Present Moment

As an ongoing student of self development, I've learned that each and every one of us has one thing in common: We all want to be happy. We all have different ways of making ourselves happy. However, I believe that true happiness is about living in the present moment.

For many people, living in the present moment can be a challenge. Many of us are living in the past and constantly thinking about the "Good Ole Days" while others look back and are full of regrets. Then there are others who dwell on the adversity that happened to them when they were young.

If we're not thinking about the past, many of us are thinking about the future. The "What if's" cross our mind. In this day and age many people are worried about their financial situation.

If you really think about it, worrying about something that hasn't happened yet is pointless, isn't it?

Not dwelling on the past and not worrying about the future was a challenge for me. Up until this day it still is a challenge.

How about you? Do you live in the moment every second of the day? Are you fully aware of what's happening in your life at any given moment in time?

If you ever spend any time with kids and watch them play, you'll notice that they are always in the present moment. They run, laugh, and play with no cares in the world. That's the way life should be every single day. Yes, even for adults!

Like many adults, I was always living in the past or the present. I was constantly thinking about the "What if's" and "I Shoulda's". There were things I regretted doing or not doing. One of the things that I would always think about was when my mother passed away. She had passed suddenly in a drowning accident and I used to always wonder, "What if I had been there? Would she still be alive? Is it my fault?" I would ask myself these questions over and over again. I was living in the past and never living in the present moment.

So, how does one go about living in the present moment?

Being able to focus on the present moment is going to take some time, but with a little practice, it gets easier and easier. Here are a few tips to help you live in the present moment:

1. One technique you can start with is to stare at an object and just observe it for a few minutes. Take note of the object's color, it's shape, and how the light hits it.

2. Whenever you're doing any type of activity - whether it's washing the dishes or going for a jog in the park - really observe what you're doing. Watch as the water drips down from the faucet over each dish that you wash. Look at all your surroundings as you go jogging. Be aware of any sounds or scents.

3. When you begin to start feeling fearful of what may happen in the future, stop and ask yourself, "Are my needs being taken care of right now in this moment?" If they are, take a moment to be grateful that right now your life is just fine.

4. To let go of the past takes the realization that there is nothing you can do now to change what happened. What you can do is learn the lessons from those past experiences and move into the present moment. You can't change the past, but you can change how you look at it.

Once you get in the habit of living in the present moment, your life will begin to change dramatically!