How many times a day do you think about the future?  Where you are going on holiday?  What you are going to do at Christmas?  When will you be able to afford that new car? Lots of people do it but for some it starts to become a problem.  It starts off as just a thought but develops into self induced stress – Shall I apply for that promotion? Am I good enough?  Should I be studying more?  Do they like me?  And so it goes on.

As well as worrying about the future are you constantly dredging up the past? Are you dwelling on things that have happened that you can’t change such as your childhood, your career choices, your marriage, your divorce.

The time you spend on languishing about the past on how things might have been is pointless.  The past as they say is history.  Okay you might learn things that you wouldn’t do again but you can’t change anything. You can physically feel the hurt, anger, anxiety that you remember. It can overwhelm you but you have a choice.  You can be aware of your feelings. 

You need self awareness in your everyday decisions to get motivated.  You need to be in control of your choices.  If you don’t make the choices someone else will and you won’t be leading the life you want.  It’s great to have goals and targets but not to let these dominate your thoughts and actions.  Life will pass you by.  What you need to obtain is Balance.  Your life is happening NOW.  You won’t have this moment ever again.  Don’t lose it.  Enjoy it.  Start living in the moment.  Balance your enjoyment of now with a review of the past and your plan for the future.

What does “Living in the Moment” mean?  It means being happy and grateful for what you have at this moment and consciously taking time to enjoy it.  It’s easy to live in the moment when it’s a happy event such as a birthday, wedding, graduation.  But unless you become aware of living in the moment and you let yourself dwell on the past, harbour resentments and worry, you are denying yourself your life today, your life at this moment. 

"I can feel guilty about the past, apprehensive about the future, but only in the present can I act. The ability to be in the present moment is a major component of mental wellness." Abraham Maslow 1908-1970, Psychologist

Allow yourself to let go of these negative feelings of resentment, envy, worry.  Look on everything as an observer.  Don’t be judgemental.  Just look at what is going on around you.  This sounds easy but you need to practice, practice, practice.  You need to make yourself focus on the moment and observe but without judging whether it’s a good or bad experience. We tend to remember and focus on the good and bad times, the highs and the lows but life is made up of so much more.  Most of your life is just “normal” if you start looking and focusing on the normal times – a clear bright day, a hot cup of coffee, a smile from a stranger, listening to children laughing – it can feel like you are looking at the world with new eyes.  You are living in the moment. Enjoy the moment and get motivated.

Buddha: “If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change”.

Some people are always wanting more: a bigger house, a faster car, a promotion at work. STOP!!! They are always looking to the future, the present moment isn’t what they want.  But think about it, the present moment is all we have. Who knows what is going to happen in the future and we can’t change the past, so live for today, live the moment, be aware of what’s going on around you, awaken your consciousness to NOW.   Just because you have goals it doesn’t mean that life is not good now. Look at your life, focus your thoughts on “the moment”, the present, you are living your life now, don’t just let life pass you by.  Get motivated - live it and enjoy it!