But man is a strange creature and some manage to live in the past. While technically living in the present, they inundate their minds with memories of the past, wallowing in past hurts and grievances or reliving glories even time has forgotten. Others manage to live in the future, too, conjuring bright images and visions, including overwhelming worries of things yet to come.
This "moment" that we have to live in – which sages, philosophers, writers, and romantics eulogize – is the present, the right now. Because it is the present, it is therefore a gift, and since it comes but once, it is aptly referred to as the "precious now."
A moment is actually the short span of time between a millisecond and a few seconds but it can also mean the difference between nothing and infinity, misery and bliss. Life is the sum total of these moments: the more significant each moment lived, the more significant one’s life is. More than living in the present, we must learn to grasp the moment and savor its fleeting pleasures and gifts.
• Relax and let things unfold. When we are too busy, nervous or stressed out, we tend to miss things that are happening right before our eyes. Whenever we look for something, we don’t see it even if it is right under our noses because of the pressure we impose upon ourselves to find it. It is when we don’t look for it that it surfaces! By relaxing and letting things unfold, we become more open to the experience. We become more of an observer, which is a prime pre-requisite for living in the moment.
• Make like you are experiencing it for the first time. See with fresh eyes, fresh everything. Next time you look at your friends and loved ones, pretend that you are seeing them for the first time. You are bound to notice something new about them that you’ve never seen before. Be willing to experience the world with childlike, wide-eyed enthusiasm. Young people see things as they really are while old people see what they’ve already seen.
• Keep your mind alert. The eyes look, but it is actually the mind that sees! There’s nothing like a clear mind for a new experience; it is like having a clean sheet of paper ready to be written on. Be alert and let the mind do its tricks. It observes, questions, deduces, reasons, solves, evaluates, and understands. Most important of all, learn the lessons every experience brings.
• Sharpen your senses. You have five senses you can use to heighten what’s happening around you – sight, smell, hearing, touch, and taste. Try to involve all of them for a multi-dimensional experience. Since you can see in depth, savor the spatial relationships of the elements you are looking at; enjoy light, shapes, colors, and movement. Be extra aware of the sounds that surround you – in front, to the left, to the right, behind, below, and above you!
• Be non-judgmental. Are you seeing people, things, places, and events through the clouded veil of your thoughts and opinions? Forget your past programming, first impressions, and pre-conceived notions. Let people and things speak for themselves. Never pre-judge, label, or expect results. And don’t ever take things for granted.
• Let go of your fears and inhibitions. Fear prevents you from seeing clearly; fear stops you from learning. Loosen up and go for it. You’ll never learn to swim if you fear the water; you’ll never learn to sing until you love the unique sound of your own voice. Let love take over instead. Then you can confidently face anything in your life.
• Stop being a control freak. Most of us want to control what happens around us. This robs us of the spontaneity of things. We must realize that there are things that are better left to occur on their own; there are also events that we can have no control over. Things happen in their own good time just like the metamorphosis of a larva into a beautiful butterfly. Try to avoid expectations that can color the way you experience and react to people, things, and events around you.
• Savor the experience. Let the magic of the moment sink into your senses, your body, your consciousness. Realize that life can’t all be roses and lollipops. Thorns will prick and tears will fall. These will all signal that you are indeed alive. Make sure to say a little prayer of thanks for the experience and whatever lessons it has taught you.
What I noticed was that the taking of photos, videos, and movies was actually robbing me of the experience firsthand. Instead of enjoying the visual and sensory excitement that surrounded the Fontana di Trevi in Rome (the subtle clink whenever a tourist threw a coin into the fountain, the clickety-clack of the carabinieri’s horses, the enticing waft of prosciutto, mozzarella, and sun-dried tomato paste from a nearby pizza place), I was more focused on my camera and how the photos would look. Knowing that I could always view the pictures and screen the videos, I wasn’t paying as much firsthand attention as I should have to the very sights I went to see in the first place.
It is important to realize and keep reminding yourself that now is the only time you have for anything. Experience life firsthand even if you know you can play it all back through the magic of technology. Most importantly, don’t postpone happiness today to some unknown time in the future. It might never come.