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E-Quipped to... Live in the Now

This newsletter refers to ‘Living in the Now’, a comprehensive article found on my website.

The concept of ‘living in the now’ or ‘being in the present’ has its roots in Eastern philosophies, but has gained popularity in mainstream western thinking in recent years because of the writings of people such as Eckhart Tolle, Jon Kabat-zinn and many others.

The increasing popularity of the concept – also referred to as ‘mindfulness’ – has quickly promoted its status from an esoteric concept to an abundantly used ‘power-phrase’ in the area of ‘self-help’. Many people are still confused by the concept and don’t fully understand it. So what does ‘living in the now’ actually mean and why and how should we introduce it into our lives?

What Does ‘Living in the now’ Mean?

Essentially, ‘Living in the Now’ means:

• Ensuring that your awareness is completely centred on the here and now. You are not worrying about the future or thinking about the past.
• Being aware of your present. Being conscious of what’s going on around you and inside you while you go through your day. Paying attention to your life as it unfolds in the present moment.
• Directing your life because you are no longer ‘absent’. You are no longer captive of your frenetic thoughts or hijacked by illusory daydreaming.

For a full description, read “Living in the Now”

How Do You Know if you are not ‘Living in the Now’?

We know we are not living in the now when we are doing the following:

• Worrying about things that have yet to come/worrying about the future.
• Beating ourselves up for mistakes that we’ve made, no matter that much time has passed.
• Living in the past.
• Living with regret.

Why Should We Strive to ‘Live in the Now’?

The following quote sums up why it is important to live in the now:

“The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future,but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.” 
Buddha

Living in the present has a dramatic effect on our emotional well-being and our physical health. It’s long been known that the amount of mental stress we carry has a detrimental impact on our health. When we are living in the present, we are living in a state of acceptance. We are accepting life as it is now, not how we wish it could have been.

Living in the now means living life with more joy and enthusiasm. When we are more present and conscious in our lives we do things with better quality and with greater enthusiasm. Better decisions are made which results in life being directed towards more positive ends.

For more information about why we should live in the now read “Living in the Now”

How Can I ‘Live in the Now’?

Here are a few tips to help you ‘live in the now’:

• Practice mindfulness. This isn’t so much of a tip as it is a requirement for living in the present. Practicing mindfulness means we practice our awareness in all our actions. Whether we are washing dishes or tying our shoes, our mind is focused on whatever we are doing. We are not thinking about the bills that we have to pay, or the phone call we need to make when we get to the office. We are simply living in the moment.
• Don’t try to quieten your mind. When we try to quieten the mind, we just disturb it all the more. Instead, simply witness your thoughts as if they are pure sound. Don’t try to judge your thoughts; there are no good thoughts or bad thoughts. Simply witness them as if they were noise.
  (Not having the urge to try to quieten our minds is one of the hardest things to do when living in the moment).
• Don’t think that life will happen some other day or that your goal is still to come or around the corner. This distracts you from taking action now.
• Do one thing at a time. Single-task, don't multi-task. When you're gardening, just garden. When you're eating, just eat. When you're bathing, just bathe. Don't try to achieve a few tasks while eating or bathing or driving. Zen proverb: "When walking, walk. When eating, eat."

Read “Living in the Now” for many more tips.

Share your wisdom with others… What tips do you have that will help us live in the now?

Leave your comments here

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About These Newsletters

You may have been forwarded this email by a friend. In that case, allow me to introduce myself. I am a psychologist, speaker, trainer, coach and hat lover based in Durban, South Africa.

My goal is to inspire you to make the changes necessary to live the life of your dreams! I believe that by developing your YOU-Q - the term I have created to describe your unique intelligence, creativity and wisdom - you can find your Inner winner and live a Be-YOU-tiful life right now.

On my website you'll find more ideas to get you thinking about life, love, work and other important STUFF.

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