Being in the present moment …
So many people, therapists, and coaches talk about being present, staying in the present moment. It has become a trendy phrase. But what does it really mean?
Staying in the present moment involves fully focusing on our external world, our surroundings, and what is happening around us. It also means focusing on our internal world—what is really happening inside of us. How do we feel? What do we think? Where is our attention?
Being in the present moment is more complex than this. Surely, we can focus for a few seconds, and over time, if we practice and train our minds, that period can be extended to minutes, perhaps longer. Not many people talk about however how to make our focus on the present more durable and long lasting.
We can focus on the present more effectively if we know and have processed our past. If we have healed the parts of us that were neglected, hurt, abandoned, abused, or let down, staying in the present becomes more effortless. If we haven’t faced these parts of ourselves, the mind will constantly revert to past memories or jump to the future, trying to create new realities to forget and avoid those events that left us with scars.
The question is, do we choose to face these aspects of ourselves, or do we prefer the seemingly easier route of removing ourselves from difficult situations and challenges that come to us to teach us? If we remember, we are halfway there. The person who can remember will be able to recognize the messages and teachings of recurring events and situations. They will be able to say no to things they don’t want to repeat or that they have learned from.
This requires being in high awareness, which constitutes a significant part of being in the present and recognizing what is going on with and within us. If we are able to do that, that itself is a form of knowledge. If we are able to be aware of what is happening in our internal world, it equips us with a certain amount of power—the power of choice. We are not helpless anymore; we can choose whether we react or choose a different outcome.
If we manage to do these, we are more likely to be able to enjoy or focus on being present.