Being in the present moment

What does it mean to be in the present moment? Is it relevant to work?

Being in the present moment means we stay as we are. In each moment. We allow whatever comes to appear and disappear.

What comes could be:
* thoughts in the mind
* sensations in the body
* perceptions about the world around us.

These keep changing. We remain a witness to the same in the moment and allow them to flow. We do not get entangled or let these own and dictate terms to us.

When we have to act, we act from this position of awareness. From who we are. From what we want to do. At home. At office. Wherever we are.

Photo by Scott Graham on Unsplash

Living in the moment

Life is a series of moments. When we try to make sense of it, we make an image from specific points of time from the past. And make our own meaning. Like the illusory image created when a sparkler is whirled around swiftly.

Enjoy the moment!

Like Rumi says:

“Every moment the world and we are renewed, Yet we are ignorant of this renewing forever and aye.

Life, like a stream of water, is renewed and renewed, Though it wears the appearance of continuity in form .

That seeming continuity arises from its swift renewal, As when a single spark of fire is whirled round swiftly.

If a single spark be whirled round swiftly, It seems to the eye a continuous line of fire.”

Photo by Issy Doherty on Unsplash

Mind the gap

I saw a sign yesterday near an elevator that said “Mind the gap”.

We usually focus on what is before and after the gap. So much that we do not even notice the gap.

But the gap is so significant. Especially in the busy lives that we run. The gap between our thoughts. The gap between two activities. The gap between our in-breath and out-breath.

Be aware of the gap. It helps loosen the hold our busy life has over us. It helps us connect to who we are.

Mind the gap!

Photo by Bruno Figueiredo on Unsplash

Be childlike

Words, especially nouns, help us identify, communicate to and understand each other. But they have this tendency to trap us at the mind level. We then fail to connect to the essence of anything, in the moment. We pass by objects and people around us thinking we already know them. We go through conversations focusing on the words spoken. We are unable to get the essence of what the other person is saying. This causes a lot of misery.

Small children show us the way. They are present. Aware. They are so curious to understand something, even if they know it by name. Even if they have seen or heard about it many times.

Let’s be aware. Fully present. And use our amazing minds consciously.

Let’s be childlike!

Goals and the path

A new year will soon begin. If you are setting goals for yourself, work towards them. But remember not to obsess over them. Enjoy the path to the goals.

Do not obsess over the future. Life unfolds all around you in the present moment. The present moment is all we have. It is here that we can create change to move towards our goals. Enjoy the journey!

Clock time and psychological time

There are two types of time. Clock time and psychological time.

Clock time is timeless. You are in the present moment. You access past or future when needed. Deal with it for practical matters. Once done, you move back deeper into the present moment.

Psychological time is when you identify with the past or keep projecting into the future. You are no longer in the present moment. The past or future consumes you.

Happiness comes when you free yourself from psychological time.

Gratitude to Eckhart Tolle’s teachings from where I learnt this.

Freedom from time

“I know many time management frameworks and techniques. But I feel trapped in time”, said one of the CXOs I was coaching.

How does one free oneself from time?

We are often either preoccupied with our past or with the future. The past is gone. The future is yet to come. Yet we live through past memories or anticipated future states.

The key to freeing ourselves is to understand that what we truly have with us is just the present moment, the “now”. Nothing happened in the past. Nothing will happen in the future. Everything happens only in the now.

Started feeling free?

In pursuit of happiness

Who doesn’t love happiness?

To be happy we usually use our body, mind, emotions, senses and energy to do the following:

1) Search for happiness in a world of forms. And get the objects, relationships or activities that give us happiness.

2) Resist or avoid anything (any form) that comes in the way of happiness.

We experience happiness, but it doesn’t last. Sooner or later the form that gave us happiness reduces or disappears. And our pursuit for such forms continues.

Is it possible to break out of this cycle and experience lasting happiness?

Yes.

Experience the essence. Of who you are. The source from which your mind, emotions, senses etc. have arisen. Connect to your core. You will experience happiness every moment.

How do you find out what is your core? How do you connect to it? Stay tuned.

Photo by Hudson Hintze on Unsplash