One of the hardest things we can do is to be present, be present in this very moment, be present now.

Because our minds flit from thought to thought to thought – past, present, future and back again – according to research from Queen’s University in Canada, about 6.5 thoughts per minute (or a new or repeated thought every 9 seconds), it takes real concentration and effort on our part to be present in this moment, here and now.

What do you notice when you choose to be present in the moment?

Do you go over previous events in your life and ask yourself “why didn’t I…?” or “why did I…?” or “I can’t believe I…” Are your thoughts of the past mostly negative or positive? Do you beat yourself up about what you did in the past? If so, now is a perfect time to practice forgiving yourself.

On the other hand, do you worry or become anxious when you think about the future, wondering if you’ll run out of money before you die, worry about what will happen if you do that thing you really want to but everyone you talk to thinks is a bad or dodgey idea? That’s definitely Fear talking to you.

Can you change anything that happened before now? Can you now lift your arm tomorrow?

Now is the only moment we actually have, when we can take action that will create our future or consider how we can learn from, and forgive, our actions and beliefs of the past. And concentrating on this moment is one way to release the fear of the future and regret about the past.

Photo by: Malike B / Unsplash