by John Hewitt

Created on: February 05, 2010   Last Updated: February 07, 2010

The present moment is something that we hear a lot about these days and seems to cover all areas of metaphysical thinking from quantum physics to eastern meditation. But what can the present moment do for us here in the real world trying to deal with real issues?

The present moment is a fabulous way to look at our daily life and the present moment is a fabulous tool to get us through difficult times. Of course like everything else the present moment does take a little practice especially when we are still in our old habits of dealing with difficult situations.

As an example I have returned to life in a small town where people knew me professionally and personally. They saw me as the man who worked with animals and was married to so-and-so. My life is so completely different know and yet there are some who still like to remind me of the man that I once was. So in this circumstance how does the present moment help me?

Well, as I see those acquaintances as shadows of my old life then their energy dissipates in that particular form and they then start to take on a whole different outlook. By constantly offering the present moment in my actions and in my vocabulary most have started to see me as the person they knew but in a whole different way; this includes my father! The temptation is to defend against the old thought patterns and try to assert my side of things. That is always doomed to failure. Therefore the present moment has become a practice of letting old reactions flow over me, asserting the present moment in how I actually speak and phrase my sentences and offering that continuous commitment of the Present.

It takes only 12 weeks or so to form a new habit so after three months of asserting the present moment within me it has started to become second nature.

This also helps one deal with guilt and regret at many levels. When you start to utilise the present moment then guilt fades and regret fades as you place yourself firmly in the present and use the Power of Now as your starting point.

Remember at any point and at any time you can change your life very simply by making a different decision. Decide to act or react in a different way and allow the present moment to guide you into a new life. This is achieved not by creating a future but by extending the present moment thereby giving you complete freedom.

We can thus see how small steps and tiny alterations in our reactions to others or indeed the story that we present to others really do make a difference. This is the beauty of the present moment.

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