The Magic of Being In the Present Moment

Many times we find ourselves stuck in the past or anticipating the future. Living life in this way can result in our feeling ungrounded or distracted. It takes us away from the magic that is being in the present moment. Our ability to be in the “here and now” can help us to experience life fully as it is.

Reasons Why It May Be Hard to Be In the Present

An image of trees reaching up towards the sky with a quote by Chögyam Trungpa about being in the present moment: "Nowness, or the magic of the present moment, is what joins the wisdom of the past with the present."

Believe me when I say that I understand that it can be hard being in the present moment. Even as a therapist who knows the benefits of being in the here and now, I can’t always do it. Although, because I regularly practice mindfulness techniques, I can catch myself going into that headspace sooner and change accordingly.

There are a variety of reasons why we move away from the present moment. Each of these reasons is personal, although not unique, to ourselves. We may be experiencing feelings of guilt or regret over something that happened or was said, or we may feel anxious about what may happen in the future based on past experiences. We may have lost our sense of “basic goodness” towards ourselves or others. Additionally, we may be totally caught up in the unhealthy future-oriented focus of the society we live in.

Why It Is Important to Be In the Present Moment

However, when we approach life in such a way, we can feel stuck. We can not change the past, nor can we control the future. Yet, we can be in the present moment. We can observe and notice what is happening right here, right now. From this place of awareness, we can then choose how we wish to respond.

The following quote by Chögyam Trungpa reminds me of the magic we can experience in life: “Nowness, or the magic of the present moment, is what joins the wisdom of the past with the present.” At any given moment there is much more happening than what we can see with our physical eyes.

When I allow myself to be in the present moment- without judgment or critique- I can see the magic of life unfolding in ways that I had never imagined. Being in the moment, I can catch glimpses of how my past has led me to that particular moment. I am able to make this recognition by calming the internal negative “monkey mind” chatter and coming back to my breath. Doing this helps me to regain my belief in basic goodness in people and in life experiences so that instead of remaining stuck in feelings of regret, sadness, or guilt (because it is inevitable to feel such feelings now and again), I can express genuine gratitude for being here now.

Being able to be with a client in the present moment is an important part of how I work with people. Learn more here about the counseling services I provide. Or, if you’d like to schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation, you can do so here.

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