Reside in the Moment

“If you are depressed, you are living in the past. If you are anxious, you are living in the future. If you are at peace, you are living in the present.”

~ Lao Tzu

Think about where you are right now, in the literal sense. You’re likely seated at a desk, either at work or home, or perhaps a coffee shop, staring at your computer or phone. Even though that’s where you are physically, where is the most important part of you? Where are your thoughts?

You might be watching the clock in anticipation of your next break, lunch or the end of the work day. You may be thinking about what happened yesterday, last month or even ten years ago. You could be worrying about a bill that is due, an upcoming event, or dreading something you’ve been putting off that you’re not looking forward to. One thing that is nearly certain is that very few of you reading this are present in this moment.

We are often everywhere but where we are. There are two places where we tend to spend too much of our time – in the past or in the future. Unfortunately, spending so much of our time in these head spaces leads to missing out on the experience and adventure that is life, something we are given only ONE chance to enjoy!

Anxiety and depression are NOT healthy or pleasant to experience. Make the conscious decision to move out of those places and take up residence right here in the present. Look at your surroundings and take in what is all about you right now. If you are outside, take in the sky, enjoy the trees, appreciate the colors that paint the canvas of your world! Draw a deep breath and smile. Have a conversation with the people around you rather than tapping your phone excessively. And face it, we’re all guilty of that innocuous crime, but make an effort to BE WITH those you’re actually with, the change will be noticed and reciprocated by those around you, and will make for a much more enjoyable interaction. It’s all about residing in the now!

We often look toward the future for our happiness and blame the past for our lack of it, but the secret is that true joy is only found in the right now. Move into this moment and you’ll find what you’ve been searching for. When you move out of the past and the future, you can begin to reside in and enjoy your right now.

Experience Happiness

“We tend to forget that happiness doesn’t come as a result of getting something we don’t have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.”

~ Frederick Keonig

Everyone lives their life in pursuit of happiness – it’s what drives us to do almost everything that we do.  Of course, we are all different, and what makes one person happy is not always going to make another person experience that same happiness.  For some, happiness comes in the form of relaxing in front of the television; for others, a vigorous workout.  Many people find happiness spending time alone, while others enjoy nothing more than being with family and friends.  All of this is obvious, innate knowledge that hardly needs to be stated, yet very often people will lose sight of their happiness in the very pursuit of it.  It’s easy to do, because much of our joy is tied to the future – I’ll be happy once I’ve graduated, I’ll really be happy when I land that big job, I’ll FINALLY be happy once I retire.

All of these things are great, having a purpose and a set of goals is crucial to a happy life, but TRUE happiness comes only to those able to recognize the joy that exists on their path to the future.  Balancing your personal and professional worlds can be tricky, and it is up to the individual to prioritize what matters.  The unfortunate reality is that too many business professionals make the mistake of valuing their profession over the actual happiness that is right in front of them.

Measure your happiness in the now, and not in the future.  Acknowledge those little things that would make you smile, if only you weren’t too busy to notice them.  Gauge your joy by being present, awake and aware of the good that exists in your corner of the world, because what else is life for, if not to experience happiness?