By now I’m sure you’ve all heard the saying; “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift… that’s why they call it the present.”
I would like to dive a little deeper into this, because although it seems fairly simple and straightforward, there is such a deeper meaning and importance to this realization.
What it All Means
Like the title says, all that exists is right now. It is always right now, and it always will be. We are forever living in the present moment.
When we tend to dwell on the past this can cause depression because we think about what could have been. We think of all the things we should have done differently and think of all the missed opportunities.
On the flip side, when you are always thinking about the future and thinking about what could happen, this can cause anxiety.
One of the biggest changes you can make in your life is to become fully present.
How to Become Present
There are two simple tricks I use to bring myself to the present moment.
First, I just tell myself to Be Here Now. We tend to get stuck in our heads and think about the past and future instead of just focusing on what is right in front of us. When you tell yourself to Be Here Now, you can enter the flow of the universe.
The second thing I do is I ask myself, “what at this moment is lacking?” You aren’t necessarily looking for an answer when you ask yourself this question. What you are doing is realizing that there is nothing lacking in the present moment. You are alive and have everything you need.
Without fail, every time I ask myself this question and I can feel my shoulders relax and my jaw unclench, and I just fall into a feeling of pure bliss and acceptance.
The Problems We Face
We are living in a world full of distractions and expectations. With the emergence of social media and technology as a whole, we are now more connected than ever. But we face a huge problem which is the fact that most people are faking their lives online and we are just distracting ourselves to try to hide from our unhappiness.
People tend to only post their best moments on social media. They choose the pictures that they look the best in and play along with this whole façade of fake happiness.
Instead of finding true happiness within, we are looking to impress others and fit in as much as possible to feel accepted. But all these societal standards and expectations are terrible for our mental health.
Why You Need to be More Present
Everything in this universe is in a flow. Humans are unique because we have a special awareness within us that allows us to contemplate things and make decisions. This awareness is both a blessing and a curse.
I believe that at least 95% of us are not living in the present moment and this is why there is so much unhappiness in this world.
We are all unique and we were all put on this planet for a reason. We all have our own special quirks and talents. But we are living in a society where we are being conditioned to be like everyone else and just follow the rules.
We are forced to go to school for at least 18 years and then find a job to work for the majority of our life and just survive, buy things we don’t need and pay bills.
I can guarantee that most people don’t truly enjoy their jobs, but the sad truth is, work takes up almost your whole entire life. Even when you’re not at work you’re tired from work so you don’t want to do anything.
How to Find Your Happiness
I can confidently say that I believe the secret to happiness is to stop distracting yourself and get out of your head and become present.
Meditation is the single most effective tool in which to do this. Here is a simple way to meditate for beginners.
We need to stop comparing our lives to other people and find what truly makes us happy and find our true purpose.
You are not tired from doing too much. You are tired from doing too little of what sparks a light inside of you.
When you are able to become fully present you enter the flow of the universe. You can find your true self and find your purpose in life. Now this won’t happen over night but even if you just practice for 5 minutes a day it can change your life so much.
We are conditioned so much in this weird world we live in, so we tend to lose touch with our real selves.
We were not born to pay bills and die. I can guarantee just about ever single one of you reading this has had that feeling inside of them that there is so much more to life. To find this you need to become present and enjoy this gift called life.
You Are Not Alone 