| |
Living in the Now:
Use it to Enrich Your Life
Gabriella Kortsch, Ph.D
At about this time of year, some months after New Year’s
resolutions have been made and kept, or made and neglected,
one thing is undeniable: we have a chance to learn and grow
every day, no matter what we did not do yesterday or neglected
to do last week.
Make Use of This Moment
Making use of this moment, of the NOW, is a principle that
stress management experts, psycho-therapists, meditators,
and many authors such as Dr. Wayne Dyer, Jon Kabat-Zinn, and
Eckhart Tolle have been talking and writing about for years.
The only moment, the only life we have is in the NOW. What
happened a few moments or several years ago is gone, what
will happen this evening, or next month when we go on holidays
is not here yet. Thus, if we live our lives thinking about
past events or future possibilities, we are literally not
living our life.
Developing Flow
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi wrote a wonderful little book "Finding
Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience" which addresses
the issue of the importance of remaining in the moment, of
the inestimable value we can find in those activities that
cause us to "go into flow", or lose our sense of
time."" When you discover what those activities
are in your life, they need to be developed. Is it music,
writing, or painting, or another creative activity? Is it
being outdoors and practicing some kind of sport? Is it working
on your computer or editing digital movies? Perhaps you are
an avid reader, observer of documentaries about the hunch-backed
camel, or participant in the Dakar rally and spend all year
preparing. Whatever it is, cultivate it, make it expand in
your life, and use it to enrich yourself. These activities
are priceless ways of being – and remaining - in the now.
But that is not all.
Nurture the Now at All Times
Being in the now needs to be nurtured at all times. The
more time you spend in the now, the more you actually live
your life. Yesterday – and even just one short hour ago –
is gone. Tomorrow is not yet here. Now is what we have. Now
is the time of our life. Now is the time for living.
Start by gently bringing yourself to this moment more and
more often on a daily basis. If you are at work, with your
partner or family, or simply running errands, become aware
of what you are doing, actually participate consciously in
your daily activities … don’t just get through them in order
to be able to do something else later on. Doing that means
that you have lost this moment forever.
Stay in the Now
By staying in the now, notice how you seem to have more
time. Notice how you feel less stressed. Notice all that is
potentially enjoyable, positive, or could be a latent learning
experience in the now moment. Even if you are going through
a difficult situation, remain aware and in the now in order
to better understand what is happening and in order to get
to know yourself more intimately by observing your feelings,
thoughts, and possible reactions.
Live here rather than in the past or the future. The more
you practice, the more it will become a habit, and the more
you will truly live your life, rather than just live on memories
of past glories or future hopes and plans.
Gabriella Kortsch, Ph.D is a psychotherapist, clinical
hypnotherapist, relationship coach, author, and professional
speaker. She broadcasts a live weekly radio show from southern
Spain available on the Internet or for listening on her website.
She works with clients to move them towards greater personal,
professional, and relationship success with her integral and
human potential raising approach to life. Sign up for her
free cutting edge and inspiring ezine at http://www.advancedpersonaltherapy.com
Article Source: www.ArticlesBase.com
|
|
