How To Live In The Present Moment – Powerful Insights From Buddha

Happiness, joy, peace, love, contentment. These are the core emotions that we crave as human beings, the states in which we wish to exist. In truth, they are our natural state.

Live In The Present Moment – So why is it that we often struggle so much to find these feelings in our day to day lives? Are positive emotions harder to access, or is there something else to it?

Think for a moment about a time in your life when the world around you seemed as though it was caving in. In that moment there was nothing to cling to, and the only thing you had left was yourself. In those times in life, it’s just you and the present moment. There is nowhere to hide, nowhere to be, nothing to do. You are left to simply exist.

So what happens? Initially there may be fear, panic and even sadness. But eventually, once the feelings pass and the thoughts stop, there is a sense of surrender. And from that place of inner surrender there comes peace.

What a strange idea. What a concept. That when we are suspended in the moment with no thought, no action, what is left is the very thing we chase. Perhaps this is the reason that some people who seem to have so little can be seen to be so HAPPY.

Live In The Present Moment – Is there a way to access the types of positive emotions we crave easily and regularly?

In short, YES! Absolutely. And the good news is we don’t have to have a complete life breakdown to find them.

In order to access the present moment we simply need to separate ourselves from the constant, incessant and unproductive patterns of thinking that keep us locked in our minds and focusing on the past or the future. When we do this, the truth becomes clear; everything we desire exists right now in the present moment.

Live In The Present Moment – There is never any other time than NOW. All else is an illusion, a fantasy and sometimes a nightmare.

You are far more than your mind, therefore thought is not the only aspect in which you exist. Your life essence emanates beyond time, beyond thought; you are the presence behind them. We get in our own way when we forget this. We rob ourselves of the very thing we want to experience.

Of course we will never be able to be happy all the time in life, that’s not natural. Life is about experiencing light and dark, black and white, the ebb and flow. All things have a natural rhythm. However, when we live in the present moment and difficult emotions do arise, we do not attach to them. Instead, we accept them and allow them to flow through us.

Being present is a practice, it is something we must learn to cultivate and expand in our lives. When we commit to it, we become happier, calmer and more joyful. Yoga, meditation or simply being in nature are all wonderful ways to place yourself deeply into the Now. If you have difficulty silencing your mind, start slow. Begin with even 1-2 minutes per day and watch how you feel.

Do you have a favourite way to practice being present? Share it in the comments below.