AbdulSalamHello and welcome to the Positive Psychology discussion portal where we will discuss “How to live in the present moment” . The Following Blog is a chapter from MBSR For Everyone Book by AbdulSalam Chaudhary.
Rediscovering the Moment
From the start of this book, we have talked about how our autopilot mode keeps us away from being in the current moment. Research shows that about 50% of the day, we are thinking about something. This Something can be about your past or future, but that doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is we are not where we should be, (where we physically are). Let’s talk about the solution quickly,
In this book, you will find mental exercises that will free you from your past & future. They will help you to be in the present moment.
So, what is the first Step?
The first step is to shift yourself from “Autopilot ON” to “Autopilot OFF,” & this is how you will do it.
- Stop yourself for a moment.
- Look around yourself.
- What else are you doing while you are reading this book?
- Is there anything else in your attention space right now?
- What is it?
It can be a cup of coffee, music in the background, or the sound of the vehicle you are traveling in.
Now put this book away from you for the next few moments (don’t count, please). Look around yourself & try to feel everything coming to you through your five senses.
Go Now.
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- So, how was it?
- Did you feel yourself?
- How does it feel to be cut off from the book intentionally?
Write down your experience below.
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These moments & their impact on you largely depend on where you were & what you were feeling, but I believe that you felt about 5-10% of the total.
So, what is the central idea of last chapter where we are talking about being “AUTOPILOT OFF”? Let me give you an example; you are sitting in front of your laptop & having a cup of tea while reading some Important documents.
Let me ask you, At that particular moment.
Were you enjoying your coffee?
I believe No because you were so indulged in your screen that you forgot to feel the taste of coffee and how cold or hot it was.
Another example to understand (if you still didn’t) is the example when we are having a morning shower. Instead of being in the moment & feeling the water touching our head, shoulders & other body parts, we are tense about the presentation we have to give at the office or the loan we have to return.
We are either in the future or in the past that yielded no results. We are programmed to think about problems (not solutions), & when we do that, we get detached from the present moment.
Thinking about something while having a shower won’t help you. So, why should we not enjoy something that is there for us?
Why let the water drain without being with it for few a moments?
