The Importance of Living in the Present

What do you mean by living in present? It means that you are not thinking about your past and not worrying about the future. If you are living in the present, you are living in reality, the here and now. The past and the future are actually illusions.

The importance of living in the present is that you are focused on the life you are living most of the the time. This means you can enjoy life in the here and now rather than focusing on past events or what you want to happen in the future.

From the Merriam-Webster website:

Definition of present:

• 1: now existing or in progress
• 2 a: being in view or at hand
• b: existing in something mentioned or under consideration
• 3: constituting the one actually involved, at hand, or being considered
• 4: of, relating to, or constituting a verb tense that is expressive of present time or the time of speaking

So now we can see the importance of living in the present.  If we don’t it can impact out happiness in the life we are living now.

Being Present

• • Be Conscious of Your Surroundings and Stop the negative talk.- If you are aware of your surroundings, you won’t be thinking about your past life. It means that your attention will be in your present situation.
  • You also need to smile and congratulate yourself for everything you have achieved.

• • Remove Unwanted Possessions – If you don’t want to live in the past, it’s a good idea  to remove all the things that connect you to the things you want to forget. If you have a lot of clutter, then clear it all out and dispose of anything you don’t use along with all those that have bad or sad memories.
  • Clearing out your home can be very therapeutic and leave you feeling more positive.
  • Then, start living in the present through focusing on the things you need to do.

• • Forgive Past Hurts – If you are still attached to your past events and situations, it is hard for you to face the reality of your present situation. So, make sure that you choose to forgive and move on. You may feel you don’t want to forgive but the other person or people aren’t affected by it, but you are. It is not only affecting your present but also your future. You are forgiving for your own sake.
  • Though the harm is there, you have to take actions to ensure that it will no longer affect your day to day life and present in general.

• • Dream for Your Future while Working Hard Today – There’s nothing wrong with having big dreams. What matters most is what you are doing at present to fulfil your dreams. So, start setting goals and plan for your future. Plan out how you want your future to be, where you want to be living, working and even where you want your relationships with others to be.
  • Know the steps you need to take and then set the future aside to concentrate on the present.

• • Stop Worrying – Unlike others, you will never appreciate the beauty of life if you keep on worrying too much. It can be hard to stop if you are a worrier but there are steps you can take to make you happier in the present moment. Worrying doesn’t change anything so learn to look at your worries and decide whether there is something you can do about it. If you can, take steps to solve it/them. If not set it aside by distracting your mind.
  • A good way is with gratitude. When you are listing everything you are grateful for you are happier and no longer focusing on the negative ie: worries.

Living in the Present

Living in the present is not as easy as you think,  especially if you cannot easily forget the things that happened in the past. Sometimes we fall into a habit of dwelling in the past rather than letting it go. The past teaches you everything you need to know, if you can look at it objectively. With your past you should learn from your mistakes and move on to make your life more more effective than before.

The person you are now is the result of your past, the choices you made, your family and events that occurred. You should never regret the past rather celebrate the person you are now and move on.

The Future

Your future, on the other hand, is the result of your present actions.

Planning for the future means deciding how you want your future to be. Planning goals, deciding the sort of home you want to live in and where you want to be with your working life.

Many people plan for their future, saving to live the life they intend to have. Perhaps building a business alongside their job or working out how to be promoted in their career.

There are also those who don’t want to make plans and prefer to live entirely in the present which of course is fine if they are happy doing so. We are, after all, different and make the choices that suit us at the time.

But what really is the importance of living in the present?

Why do you need to live in the present? Living in the present means that you are focused mainly on the here and now, the present time but have made a commitment to the future. It also means you appreciate the past and have learnt from it but don’t dwell upon it unduly.

Through this knowledge, it is easier for you to manage your life easily and be happy. You can plan a strategy to create the future you want but still enjoy the present because you aren’t totally focused backwards or forwards.

If you are struggling in the present, it is not always easy to see a way forward. By deciding where you want to be a few years into the future it can be easier to create a path to the future by continually making small changes that lead you in the right direction.

Appreciating life and being happy

Living in the present allows you to appreciate the things you have and people around you. If you are focusing on your past or future alone, the present won’t feel like a good place to be. You will also neglect the things that you need to do in the here and now, which will affect the future.

You have the power within you to change your life but only you can do it.

The main reason is happiness. You can be happy and enjoy life to the full. It’s a wonderful feeling to be happy most of the time. I would say all but the reality is we are human and things happen occasionally that knock us off centre for a short time, until we work through it and gain our equilibrium once more.

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