What is the Now?
The Now is a state of presence between yourself and the surrounding world. The past and future do not exist. For instance, right now is the present. The past was yesterday's present and the future is tomorrow's present. Meaning--- all you have ever had and ever will have is the Now. It is the breaths in which you take between reading these words. It is the vibrations in your hands as you wiggle your fingers. What you do in this moment will define future moments and so on and so forth. Simple, no? So simple, in fact, that the Now is often taken for granted. It's constantly overshadowed by its more attractive counterparts: the past and future. Which is why I've decided to make the Now a priority, and share some insight of the power you hold right now.
What stops people from living in the Now?
The mind. The identification people have with their minds is the reason they cannot remain present. Not being able to stop thinking is mad. We just don't realize it because almost everyone does it, thus deeming it "normal". Thinking has become a sickness. Sickness occurs when things get out of balance and then turns into disease. The mind is grand and lovely, yes. However, it is a tool. It should be used when needed for a specific task and put down just like any other part of our body. For example, after waving to someone; it would look pretty odd if our hand just kept moving for hours on end. Why should it be different for our thoughts? If you saw a person on the street talking to themselves, you might consider them "crazy". However, in this instance, the only difference between you and mentally deranged is that you don't vocalize your thoughts. But, we talk to ourselves all the time.
Your mind is constantly reliving past experiences or imagining future situations that may never come to be. Typically these thoughts consist of negative outcomes or things that may go wrong. As a result, these thoughts turn into worries. Worries turn into stress. Stress turns into anxiety and we are inevitably trapped on a treadmill of paranoia. We are addicted to thinking. Webster defines addiction as, "a strong and harmful need to regularly have or do something." 90 percent of people's thinking is repetitive. It is a white noise that should be turned off.
How can we just "turn off" our minds?
Pay attention. Right now as your reading this piece, your mind is thinking of something else. Like a television left on, the static can always be heard in the background. What are you thinking about? Don't judge your thoughts. Observe them. The mind will constantly attempt to remain in control. But, it cannot do this without time, which is past and future. End the delusion of time. Time is man-made. We are all living almost exclusively through memory and anticipation. As a result, we fail to notice the present and allow it to simply be.
This is why some people love jumping out of planes or bungee jumping off bridges. In these adrenaline filled situations, there isn't much of a choice. Your whole focus is geared toward the current moment. In this moment: you have no problems, no sense of time, and no worries. However, you don't need to skydive to feel this. The same feeling can be achieved by investing all of your being into the now.
What are some examples of excluding the Now?
Complaining.
Complaining is the simplest way of resisting the Now. Essentially, it is the non-acceptance of what is. As an illustration, I often catch myself complaining when I'm getting ready for work. But, I am going to work. It's not going to change. When you complain, you make yourself a victim instead of just accepting what is. Whatever present you are in, be there entirely. Some people will always rather be somewhere else. Their now is never good enough. Their life is never good enough. There's always someplace/something/someone that will bring them salvation. Though, these things may never actually come. All negativity, in any shape or form, is resistance. A conscious or unconscious belief that a human being can alter reality by producing irritation/impatience/anger or resentment is mental. Simply put: it doesn't work. Instead of diminishing the undesirable condition, negativity welcomes it with open arms.
The Now.
If you ask a stranger, "What is it that you want?"
Most people will say, "Happiness."
Happiness is almost, on all occasions, a goal; found some time in the distant future. A euphoric state which can only be achieved when you get ______ job, ______ car, and ______ girl or guy. "One day I'll make it." And yet, one day is today. Happiness is right now. Are your goals taking up so much of your focus that you belittle the present as a means to an end? Are you so busy getting to the future that the Now is just a way of getting there? Are you stressed?
Stress is caused by being here, but wanting to be "there". Being in the present but, wanting to be in the future. You can always deal with now, but dealing with the future is impossible. To live with such a split task and desire is insane. The fact that everyone else is doing it doesn't make it any less insane. Do you have any problems right now? Not 5 minutes from now, but in this exact moment? No. Life is or isn't. We don't have problems; just situations that need be addressed.
People are always waiting. Waiting for their next vacation, their soulmate, to be successful, to be happy. They don't want what they have, they want what they don't have. It isn't uncommon for people to spend their whole lives waiting to start living. Waiting is a mentality. It is a cancer. There is nothing wrong with improving yourself or your life-situation. However, external goals will only provide temporary relief and never actual fulfillment. Who are you in between your goals? In progress? On hold? Of course not, that's silly. Everything you have ever needed is at your fingertips. Not in the past. Not in the future. This day. Every day. Forever. Now.
The Now is a state of presence between yourself and the surrounding world. The past and future do not exist. For instance, right now is the present. The past was yesterday's present and the future is tomorrow's present. Meaning--- all you have ever had and ever will have is the Now. It is the breaths in which you take between reading these words. It is the vibrations in your hands as you wiggle your fingers. What you do in this moment will define future moments and so on and so forth. Simple, no? So simple, in fact, that the Now is often taken for granted. It's constantly overshadowed by its more attractive counterparts: the past and future. Which is why I've decided to make the Now a priority, and share some insight of the power you hold right now.
What stops people from living in the Now?
The mind. The identification people have with their minds is the reason they cannot remain present. Not being able to stop thinking is mad. We just don't realize it because almost everyone does it, thus deeming it "normal". Thinking has become a sickness. Sickness occurs when things get out of balance and then turns into disease. The mind is grand and lovely, yes. However, it is a tool. It should be used when needed for a specific task and put down just like any other part of our body. For example, after waving to someone; it would look pretty odd if our hand just kept moving for hours on end. Why should it be different for our thoughts? If you saw a person on the street talking to themselves, you might consider them "crazy". However, in this instance, the only difference between you and mentally deranged is that you don't vocalize your thoughts. But, we talk to ourselves all the time.
Your mind is constantly reliving past experiences or imagining future situations that may never come to be. Typically these thoughts consist of negative outcomes or things that may go wrong. As a result, these thoughts turn into worries. Worries turn into stress. Stress turns into anxiety and we are inevitably trapped on a treadmill of paranoia. We are addicted to thinking. Webster defines addiction as, "a strong and harmful need to regularly have or do something." 90 percent of people's thinking is repetitive. It is a white noise that should be turned off.
How can we just "turn off" our minds?
Pay attention. Right now as your reading this piece, your mind is thinking of something else. Like a television left on, the static can always be heard in the background. What are you thinking about? Don't judge your thoughts. Observe them. The mind will constantly attempt to remain in control. But, it cannot do this without time, which is past and future. End the delusion of time. Time is man-made. We are all living almost exclusively through memory and anticipation. As a result, we fail to notice the present and allow it to simply be.
This is why some people love jumping out of planes or bungee jumping off bridges. In these adrenaline filled situations, there isn't much of a choice. Your whole focus is geared toward the current moment. In this moment: you have no problems, no sense of time, and no worries. However, you don't need to skydive to feel this. The same feeling can be achieved by investing all of your being into the now.
What are some examples of excluding the Now?
Complaining.
Complaining is the simplest way of resisting the Now. Essentially, it is the non-acceptance of what is. As an illustration, I often catch myself complaining when I'm getting ready for work. But, I am going to work. It's not going to change. When you complain, you make yourself a victim instead of just accepting what is. Whatever present you are in, be there entirely. Some people will always rather be somewhere else. Their now is never good enough. Their life is never good enough. There's always someplace/something/someone that will bring them salvation. Though, these things may never actually come. All negativity, in any shape or form, is resistance. A conscious or unconscious belief that a human being can alter reality by producing irritation/impatience/anger or resentment is mental. Simply put: it doesn't work. Instead of diminishing the undesirable condition, negativity welcomes it with open arms.
The Now.
If you ask a stranger, "What is it that you want?"
Most people will say, "Happiness."
Happiness is almost, on all occasions, a goal; found some time in the distant future. A euphoric state which can only be achieved when you get ______ job, ______ car, and ______ girl or guy. "One day I'll make it." And yet, one day is today. Happiness is right now. Are your goals taking up so much of your focus that you belittle the present as a means to an end? Are you so busy getting to the future that the Now is just a way of getting there? Are you stressed?
Stress is caused by being here, but wanting to be "there". Being in the present but, wanting to be in the future. You can always deal with now, but dealing with the future is impossible. To live with such a split task and desire is insane. The fact that everyone else is doing it doesn't make it any less insane. Do you have any problems right now? Not 5 minutes from now, but in this exact moment? No. Life is or isn't. We don't have problems; just situations that need be addressed.
People are always waiting. Waiting for their next vacation, their soulmate, to be successful, to be happy. They don't want what they have, they want what they don't have. It isn't uncommon for people to spend their whole lives waiting to start living. Waiting is a mentality. It is a cancer. There is nothing wrong with improving yourself or your life-situation. However, external goals will only provide temporary relief and never actual fulfillment. Who are you in between your goals? In progress? On hold? Of course not, that's silly. Everything you have ever needed is at your fingertips. Not in the past. Not in the future. This day. Every day. Forever. Now.