How to Live in the Here and Now
Thank you for taking the time to visit this site. In today’s article, we will discuss how to live in the here and now.
Not so long ago, possibly going back about 30-35 years, people lived at a much slower pace of life. But, then, this was a time of families sitting on porches, waving and speaking to neighbors as they passed.
There was a tendency to know your neighbors by name, and you felt part of a more extensive community where people looked out for one another and cared about the safety and well-being of those around them.
We would visit other people in their homes or mail letters to communicate with our friends and relatives who may live in a different city.
We used rotary phones in some cases, and pay phones were accessible to use coins to make a call, local or even long distance. However, digital phones were more futuristic and something many did not even consider.
Children could be seen playing outdoors, sometimes imaginary games they created, or just old-fashioned favorite past times such as throwing a football or baseball back in forth.
Then we come to today and discover that memories have faded. It is as if that time in our history has passed, and we have become accustomed to living a busier, faster-paced life.
The big question for you and me is, what happened to cause this? When did we become so busy that we forgot how to slow down and live? Can we even live a slower-paced, meaningful life?
To help with these questions, let’s discuss ways to slow down and accomplish living instead of just existing. We will focus on five guidelines that include:
- Be Kind
- Recharge your mind
- Establish healthy boundaries
- Develop healthy relationships
- Be thankful
Let’s get started!
Be Kind
“Your soul is nourished when you are kind, but you destroy yourself when you are cruel.” Proverbs 11:17 NLT
Have you ever considered the impact that you have on others?
When we show kindness to others, we reflect on how we feel about ourselves.
Being kind is not about being a pushover or being viewed as weak or soft, where others can walk over you.
Being kind is about showing compassion to your fellow man. When we show kindness, we operate at a higher energy frequency that causes the atmosphere around us to change.
Imagine walking into an office and smiling as you pass others. This small gesture of kindness can cause a domino effect and inspire them to reciprocate and smile back at you and others.
You see someone struggling to carry a heavy load of books, and you offer to take some of them to ease their burden.
A person is in front of you at the checkout line buying groceries, and they do not have enough money to pay for everything they have in their basket. You decide to pay the difference of what they owe without ever being reimbursed.
These small acts of kindness go a long way to make the world better and more friendly.
Recharge your mind
I place my cell phone on a charger daily to recharge the battery. This is critical because if my phone battery dies, I may be unable to use it to make calls or send text messages.
This can be unpleasant to many of us not having our phones charged enough to use. We rely on our phones to the point that it almost feels like we can not make it without them. Can you relate to this?
Then imagine for just a moment how our minds work. We use our minds quite often to solve problems at work, plan and take care of the needs of our families and do other activities throughout the day.
We try to rest our minds by going to sleep. But even in sleep, some may worry or stress about what they must do the next day. So this may cause you not to get a peaceful and restful sleep.
How can you recharge your mind when so much in your life keeps you feeling drained and hopeless?
The ideal way to recharge your mind is to let go of everything that enters your mind daily. Letting go does not mean completely forgetting. Instead, letting go is a form of release.
You may recall seeing a balloon being let go by someone outside. The balloon flies away into the sky, and you watch it drift further away until it fades into the clouds to be seen no more.
Like the balloon, please consider releasing all the anxiety, stress, and negative thoughts that enter your mind. This can be accomplished by writing them down in a journal or paper. Instead of reliving those experiences, let them go and turn the page.
You then recharge by filling your mind with positive energy. This can be accomplished by reading a book that helps you grow. It can be exercising or walking. You can spend time with family and friends through casual conversation, listening, and observing your surroundings.
Recharging your mind may include doing fun activities, watching a movie with your family, working outdoors in your garden, and relaxing.
In turning the page, you start a new day with a clean page to write and not allow your yesterday experiences to weigh you down today.
Establish healthy boundaries
Sometimes we fail to set healthy boundaries and inadvertently take on more than we can handle by trying to do too much.
Setting up boundaries is very important. You can not live life trying to be perfect or as if you have to take care of the needs of every person you come in contact with.
To establish healthy boundaries, learn to take care of yourself first.
You must love yourself enough not to take on too many things or ask for help when needed.
Healthy boundaries occur when all parties involved have clear and realistic expectations of one another. This may include asking questions for clarity when something does not make sense to you.
Healthy boundaries should be viewed as a partnership at home, work, or anywhere. Everyone is accountable for taking care of their responsibilities and not relying on someone else to do it when they can.
Develop healthy relationships
Healthy boundaries also involve healthy relationships. So what exactly is a healthy relationship?
Think of your relationships with others as being part of a tree. As long as the tree is watered and fertilized with nutrients, it continues supplying the branches with nourishment to develop and grow.
In contrast to our lives, we grow and develop when we support and encourage one another.
Healthy relationships involve sharing your life with others and doing your part to help it grow.
One person can not do all of the watering while others benefit. So it’s up to us to do our part to build healthy and balanced relationships.
Be thankful
One of the core elements of life is change. We age, and we evolve. Nothing remains the same.
As with change, you and I will experience new things each day. Good or bad, these experiences are part of our development.
Although every experience may not be pleasant, learn to appreciate and be thankful for the time you have.
Think of life as a river; you may pass through rough spots and smooth areas over time. As you try to move forward, you will encounter disappointment, setbacks, and delays.
But remember, these are part of the process of living. So embrace living by learning to be thankful for the moment.
Be thankful for your family, friends, home, and job or business. Live in the moment, smell the flowers, and learn to slow down and enjoy living instead of just existing.
Final thoughts
We have discussed the topic of living in the here and now.
Yesterday’s story was about living life at a slower pace, living in the moment. A question was asked about what caused us to become so busy that we stopped living and enjoying life like we used to.
We have become busy taking on too many things without setting proper boundaries and cultivating healthy relationships to keep us grounded, which has taken us out of balance with ourselves.
Can we even return to a slower-paced, meaningful life?
The answer to that question is yes, we can. We find balance by being kind to ourselves and others, resting, and recharging our minds. We support and help each other to be better human beings.
Each day, live one day at a time. Do not take life for granted. Instead, live in balance in your relationships and your job, slow down, and learn to be thankful for the time you have each day.
Please share your comments on what you have done to slow down and live in the moment. Have a great day!