The Art Of Living Here And Now

Do you know the power of living here and now, of consciously experiencing the present? Although knowing how to enjoy the present moment seems like a no-brainer, very few do, why? Because true presence is more than being physically in a place; is to be connected with our essence, our interiority in perfect harmony with the environment.

Unfortunately, that inner peace is disturbed, sometimes violently, by our thoughts and emotions, which take us away from the present moment, the here and now.

The art of living here and now

Here is a brief presentation to give you some basic keys to learn to live in the here and now.

1. You are much more than the content of your thoughts

Descartes, the famous French philosopher of the seventeenth century said: “I think, therefore I am.” This phrase defines the way in which the modern human being identifies himself. That is, through your ideas and thoughts. However, currently there are other views that allow dissent from the traditional Cartesian approach.

And,  although thoughts and ideas are powerful and important, they are still labile and ephemeral. In other words, if we defined ourselves by what we think, we would be establishing our identity on quicksand.

Thus, what we think of ourselves does not define us. Rather, they are just concepts that fail to encompass our true essence. In addition, the endless chain of thoughts that constitutes our internal dialogue produces a noise that disconnects us from our essence and the present.

 2. You are much more than your emotions

Since Freud exposed his theory of the unconscious, and other authors connected the unconscious with emotions, mechanistically, it seems that our will is ineluctably bent by forces alien to our consciousness, ephemeral and capricious.

Following this idea, emotions would influence our thinking, and this in our behavior. Although it is undeniable that emotions are part of our being, they are fleeting and do not constitute the deepest or most real part of our person. In addition, today there are many effective techniques to learn to properly manage emotions. Therefore, we are not predetermined by them, nor are they part of our deepest essence.

So, as Eckhart Tolle, author of The Power of Now , would say, “don’t take your emotions too seriously. ” These are only installed if we identify with them and let them take possession of us.

3. You are much more than what limits you

There are other variables that may be preventing you from connecting with your true essence and being in time. As many times we do not know who we are, we tend to identify with spurious elements. For example, by identifying with our abilities or with the role we occupy in society (I am intelligent, or I am stupid), possessions (I am rich or poor), achievements or titles (I am an executive, a doctor, or a criminal).

All these conditions come and go, and they are relative, they are nothing more than masks that allow us to see what underlies it, our inner universe. To be one with oneself is to be one in time and, therefore, to be in the here and now.

How to connect with the here and now

Thich Nhat Hanh, one of the most important and well-known Zen Buddhist teachers of our time, tells us that “even if we are not talking to someone, reading, listening to the radio, watching television or interacting on the Internet, most of the people do not we feel centered or calm […]. Even while we are sitting still, without receiving stimuli from the outside, we continue to have an endless dialogue in our head ”.  

If we want to connect with the here and now, the best we can do is focus our attention on what we are doing. Our mind tends to wander very easily. We have immense potential, but it is wasted. We must simplify and focus on what we do; You will be surprised how quickly automatic thoughts disappear when our consciousness is focused on a specific task.

We can also carry out techniques that will help us in our day to day. Meditation is a very powerful tool that, without a doubt, will bring us enormous benefits to focus and live in the present.

In short, we have talked about the importance of connecting with the present moment and living in peace and harmony, to be truly authentic and connect with our true essence, hidden behind the mask of haste, worries, traumas. Who knows how to live in the present, lives in eternity.