by Melissa Holland-Forde

Created on: February 14, 2009   Last Updated: June 29, 2009

Our society has been one obsessed with mastering the juggling act. If you can't keep 10 balls in the air at once you must be a slacker. We talk on the phone while walking down the street or while driving in our cars. We receive e-mails to our phones or on our laptops. Who needs a clone when you are more than capable of functioning as more than one person? Is this really the way we want to live? We are constantly being bombarded with requests and to-do lists. Meals are inhaled while walking, standing or in cars. Our thoughts are usually 100 paces in front of the current task at hand. Can a society that prides itself in being able to walk, chew gum and work their I-Phones simultaneously save ourselves from Attention Deficit conciousness?

Living in the now allows you to specifically focus on the things that are occuring to you in real time. If you're living in the now ,you listen to your neighbor who stops by unannounced with a plea for help even though you're late for a blockbuster movie on opening night that you know will have a line going down street. If you're living in the now ,you listen to your child who is bursting at the seams to tell you about his latest science discovery just as the season finale of your favorite show comes on. Living in the moment may even allow you to focus less on the cd player in your car when you're driving and allow you to focus more on the feeling in the pit of your stomach telling you to slow down. Living in the moment defines the real time events that request your attention.

What does living in the moment feel like ? If we can appreciate the feeling and importance of this, we are more likely to make this part of our lifestyle. Have you ever taken the time to notice the enthusia,sm of a person who tells you about a life changing event they have gone through? Have you ever experienced the animation of a child who takes the time to tell you something he/she is happy about? Have you ever noticed a wonder of nature that appears for you magically out of nowhere such as a lunar halo or the intricate shape of a snow flake before it melts? Have you listened to a song that makes you cry? Staying in the moment allows you to not only notice these various things but appreciate them. If we miss out on these special moments we can never get them back.

A good way of staying in the moment is by practicing meditation. I know there are many ways to do this but one simple thing you can do is to start deep breathing to relax yourself. This requires taking a deep breath through your nose and then exhaling through your mouth. As you focus on your the rhythm of your breath, you begin to calm down and relax. The next step should be to focus on very pleasant visual images that make you happy. Finally, you can visualize and affirm positive changes you would like to make in your life. As you focus on these things, you will calm down further, be more aware of your surroundings and begin to master living in the now.

Learn more about this author, Melissa Holland-Forde.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.