Present Moment Awareness

Can you believe, another year has gone by? The years come and go, and every year seems to go quicker than before. This year I have been so immersed in work and other life demands that I neglected what my body needed. I didn’t put my needs first, and as a result towards the end of this year I ended up tired, exhausted, drained and full of aches and pains. (Does that sound familiar?)

The last few months I have made the commitment to create more balance in my life – starting activities I enjoy such as yoga, daily journaling and painting. If I stopped and listened to my body and made the time for my needs, I would not have ended up feeling so drained. I find it a challenge to keep up to meet demands of my life and keep up with what other people need. The first things that go on the back burner are activities that I enjoy doing.

I am putting strategies into place that assist me to keep on track with my dreams and life’s demands. My goal is to have more balance and do more of what I enjoy. This means that I may have to let go of a few other things to make room for activities for myself to enjoy. One of these strategies is to live my life in the present moment.

This means being more mindful of my thoughts and actions and what I am doing in the moment I am in. A useful tool to assist in staying in the present moment is being mindful of every action you are taking. Take notice of what you are eating, how you brush your hair and brush your teeth in the morning. Be mindful during the day of every thought or action you take.

Live right in the NOW. In the moment you are in. The “Present Moment” is our point of power where we have a choice to decide what we want or don’t want in our lives. Not dwelling on the past wondering “what if?” or looking to the future thinking when we complete a particular goal or task, we will then feel happy or be fulfilled. To change our thoughts, emotions or responses to anything presented in our life, we have to be in the present moment. To fulfill our dreams, goals and life purpose, we need to act from the present moment with love and integrity.

The present moment is the only reality. The past and future ultimately only exist in our thoughts. We may have a connection to the past or future, emotionally holding on to that moment, taking our thoughts to that moment, but being there does not change the present condition. Everything that happens in our lives is created depending on our own thoughts or emotions at that time. We may have a life path planned out for us, however it is dependent on our choices, as to which path we follow.

Our outer life is reflected back to us from our inner thoughts or emotions. If someone is difficult to deal with, this is a reflection of an aspect of our inner self. You have to be in the present moment to change your response to a situation. You can’t change some else’s thoughts or responses. Changing your thoughts and responses will have a ripple effect; new opportunities present themselves and people will respond to you differently.

We have choice, and have the ability to create and change what we don’t like in our lives right now. We are only limited by our thoughts and beliefs in achieving what we want in our lives. The past and future are merely thoughts – a point of view from which we can grow, learn and change if we choose. Anything is possible if we truly believe it, and we genuinely feel excited about it.

Moving into 2018, I encourage you to put goals and dreams into place to achieve what you would like out of the year. I believe one of the keys to achieving your goals is to be in the present moment. When you're in the present moment, you are able to put into place what needs to be done to achieve your end goal.

Spend some time writing or journaling a list about all your dreams - don’t judge or dismiss any thoughts that come up; just write it all down. Pick one goal from your list that is achievable right now. You will find that as you start picking a few goals from your list, other aspects in your life will change to allow more of what you want.

May 2018 be a year of balance, realisation of dreams, and the most amazing year for you all.

Danielle Renee

Holistic Therapist – Writer

Visit Danielle's website here