Being in the moment

 Do you have trouble staying present and being in the moment? I do. The nature of the mind makes it akin to the monkey jumping from branch to branch, tree to tree, hence it is often refered to as the monkey mind. By being distracted by thoughts about the past or the future we simply miss the now and the truth is there is only now. The past is gone, the future hasnt happend so apart from the day to day planning that we all need to do there is no benefit from ruminating in things gone by or what we perceive may happen in the future.

Living in the Now takes practice and perseverence. I can do it for a short while but have lots more practice to come. When I do manage to stay present life is less worrying and much more enjoyable. I am learning to even be okay with things that I dont like so much and would prefer not to happen. The way to do this is to not take life so personally, meaning that not everything is about us, it simply is a series of moments that we label good or bad. 

At present I am hugely influenced by the teachings of Michael Singer and Professore Ellen Langer. Both have much to teach us and give us the benefits of their wisdom and experiences. The work of Michael Singer is teaching me about letting things go, I think I am on the third reading of his Untethered Soul and Living Untetherd books and Ellen Langer is so inspiring and teaching me to "not know" rather than thinking things are going to be a certain way. Not knowing is a wonderful relief and opens me to greater opportunities. Her book The Mindful Body is inspiring and informative. One of the things she often says is "There are no events, only moments".

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