Live in the present - such a simple concept - such a perfect example of how "simple" doesn't equate to "easy." Here's how it goes.
Why to live in the present: The present is the time that's real. The present is where we are. The present is the point of being, the place where life exists. The present is the exhilaration of the roller coaster, the moment of orgasm, the crackle of the warm fire, the touch of your lover, the blossoming of a flower, your child's the first giggle. The present is where the adventure of life unfolds. The present is where joy is experienced. At the end of our lives, if lives truly flash before our eyes, we'll see that what we call our life is just a series of present moments.
How to live in the present: be there. Feel the sweet cool breeze and the hot, sticky sweat. Bask in your daydream if it gives you pleasure - the present doesn't always have to be physical. Shed tears of grief when they arise, shed tears of joy and laughter, too. Breathe in the moments, good or bad. Live the adventure.
You may look back on your past and realize there were presents you wish you'd claimed, but because the joy was mixed with pain, you decided to leave them out of your precious bundle of moments, out of your life story. You suddenly pine for the sweet memories of Grandma's fresh bread, even though you've run away from the pain of rushing her to the hospital and her subsequent death for years.
Un-presenced parts of our lives lay in wait as memories.
Memories have many purposes. Some are blueprints and instruction manuals, and some are precious jewels set aside to be savored and cherished forever. But many - so many - are actually bits of the present never attended to, lying in wait, clamoring for their turn to take their rightful place as one of the moments of your life.
So then, when you go to be present, the purity of your present moments is hijacked by the past. You want to feel the sweetness of the cool breeze, but instead you remember that time in the cool breeze you hid outside listening to your parents fight. Or maybe you find yourself watching your life from the outside - safely dissociated into the ethers. Maybe your mind doesn't even remember in language, but something in you does remember. So instead of pleasure you feel inexplicably sad, scared, vulnerable, or just emotional.
It's okay. Your present might be being present with the past for a moment, or longer. You're reclaiming the moments of your life. Under the painful memories, you'll unearth beautiful ones you thought you lost. You'll reclaim your present and your life.
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