right before i came across this dr. seuss quote i was telling myself: winter break is only two weeks away! sure i will be much more free but living the next two weeks waiting for the future is no good either.
to live in the present can be such a challenge. to get caught up in living and working for the future you have envisioned or the past you wish you could relive keeps you from the only real moment you have, the here and the now.
if i did new years resolutions this would be it: focus on the present
being someone who often can take the tiniest situation and in .2 seconds comes up with seven proceeding possible things (all negative) that COULD potentially happen, it is definitely no easy task. however, i am proud to say that lately i've been finding it easier to notice it before it gets too far and gently discard it. knowing and identifying the problem is step one and being able to calmly throw it out of your mind is two.
so if you're like me and sick of living and waiting for that next thing that's inherently better than the now...try to just simply let.it.go.
time is a very misleading thing. there are no guarantees.
"you can get so confused that you’ll start in to race down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space, headed, I fear, toward a most useless place. the waiting place…for people just waiting. waiting for a train to go or a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or waiting around for a yes or no or waiting for their hair to grow. everyone is just waiting. waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite or waiting around for friday night or waiting, perhaps, for their uncle jake or a pot to boil, or a better break or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants or a wig with curls, or another chance.everyone is just waiting. no! that’s not for you! somehow you’ll escape all that waiting and staying..." - dr. seuss
how to live in the present
1. breathe
inhale. exhale. repeat.
breathing deeply and comfortably does not and has not ever been something that comes easily to me. it is one reason i enjoy yoga so much. i know when i take the time to practice i will feel like a weight has been lifted. i am getting better at being mindful of my breath, especially when i really need it and when it feels like my breath is so so shallow i'm barely breathing. so when in doubt, just breathe.
2. be a minimalist
minimize the clutter in your life. your useless, dust collecting, materialistic possessions and you'll minimize the clutter in your mind. the physical things do not matter, they offer short lived joy. being a minimalist is a lifestyle, be conscious of what you keep around you and what you purchase.
3. one thing at a time
i am so very guilty of writing my to do list and attempting to multitask five things at once. this inevitably leads to frustration that i can't get any of them done and done right. or even worse- the list is so long i feel i can never get it all done. when your attention is pulled ten different ways it takes much longer for you to complete even a simple task. do yourself a favor and focus on one thing at a time and don't cram your day either. don't forget to prioritize and try so very hard not to procrastinate. i will include social media here as well. it is such a beast i'm hoping to get a control of asap. it can be such a useful thing but lets me honest more than anything....huge time killer.
4. DO LESS
yes, do less. give yourself permission to say no to things. i hate the fast paced life more than anyone and being sucked into it is so very easy if you are not careful. it seems like the message is the more you do and the faster you go and the faster everything is the better. it is not. stop and spend that 15 minutes petting your dog, drinking tea with your mom, taking that hour bath you've been wanting. or even better, take 5 minutes to just lay down and breathe. take time to be still and enjoy the silence. mindfully guide your thoughts and check in with yourself.
to live in the present can be such a challenge. to get caught up in living and working for the future you have envisioned or the past you wish you could relive keeps you from the only real moment you have, the here and the now.
if i did new years resolutions this would be it: focus on the present
being someone who often can take the tiniest situation and in .2 seconds comes up with seven proceeding possible things (all negative) that COULD potentially happen, it is definitely no easy task. however, i am proud to say that lately i've been finding it easier to notice it before it gets too far and gently discard it. knowing and identifying the problem is step one and being able to calmly throw it out of your mind is two.
so if you're like me and sick of living and waiting for that next thing that's inherently better than the now...try to just simply let.it.go.
time is a very misleading thing. there are no guarantees.
"you can get so confused that you’ll start in to race down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space, headed, I fear, toward a most useless place. the waiting place…for people just waiting. waiting for a train to go or a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or waiting around for a yes or no or waiting for their hair to grow. everyone is just waiting. waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite or waiting around for friday night or waiting, perhaps, for their uncle jake or a pot to boil, or a better break or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants or a wig with curls, or another chance.everyone is just waiting. no! that’s not for you! somehow you’ll escape all that waiting and staying..." - dr. seuss
how to live in the present
1. breathe
inhale. exhale. repeat.
breathing deeply and comfortably does not and has not ever been something that comes easily to me. it is one reason i enjoy yoga so much. i know when i take the time to practice i will feel like a weight has been lifted. i am getting better at being mindful of my breath, especially when i really need it and when it feels like my breath is so so shallow i'm barely breathing. so when in doubt, just breathe.
2. be a minimalist
minimize the clutter in your life. your useless, dust collecting, materialistic possessions and you'll minimize the clutter in your mind. the physical things do not matter, they offer short lived joy. being a minimalist is a lifestyle, be conscious of what you keep around you and what you purchase.
3. one thing at a time
i am so very guilty of writing my to do list and attempting to multitask five things at once. this inevitably leads to frustration that i can't get any of them done and done right. or even worse- the list is so long i feel i can never get it all done. when your attention is pulled ten different ways it takes much longer for you to complete even a simple task. do yourself a favor and focus on one thing at a time and don't cram your day either. don't forget to prioritize and try so very hard not to procrastinate. i will include social media here as well. it is such a beast i'm hoping to get a control of asap. it can be such a useful thing but lets me honest more than anything....huge time killer.
4. DO LESS
yes, do less. give yourself permission to say no to things. i hate the fast paced life more than anyone and being sucked into it is so very easy if you are not careful. it seems like the message is the more you do and the faster you go and the faster everything is the better. it is not. stop and spend that 15 minutes petting your dog, drinking tea with your mom, taking that hour bath you've been wanting. or even better, take 5 minutes to just lay down and breathe. take time to be still and enjoy the silence. mindfully guide your thoughts and check in with yourself.
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