by Ivy from Beautifully Simply You
How often do you spend being in the present moment?
We spend so much time waiting for tomorrow, waiting for something better and constantly forgetting to live in the present and be okay with what we have before our eyes. We say we will be happier when we meet our goal weight or when we meet our soulmate, or when we land our dream job. But even once we reach that goal, we are still unhappy because we continue to constantly search for something better in the same or different area of our lives.
I know I fall victim to this as well. I can’t even count the amount of times I have said “I can’t wait for the weekend” or “I need this day to be over” or “I can’t wait for this event 6 months from now”. Once I say those things, I immediately disregard the beauty of the things in my life in that present moment without even realizing it.
When I was at my lowest, I always waited for the next opportunity rather than taking the opportunity right in front of my face. I wouldn’t perform my best at a track meet and proceed to beat myself up about it, but I would tell myself it was okay because I had next week’s meet to try again. In reality, I didn’t always have next week. I had several injuries, which held me back from even running at the next meet, or being able to run at my full potential. It could have rained or snowed and the weather conditions made it difficult to run well or the meet was cancelled all together. But on those perfect days where opportunity was at my fingertips, I let it slip by because I was always waiting for some other opportunity rather than recognizing what I had in that moment.
I spent a lot of time waiting for the right moment to walk away from my relationship, waiting to work around holidays, birthdays and trips, and most importantly waiting for the moment when I felt ready or strong enough. What I failed to neglect to realize was that I was ready and had the strength in those present moments to walk away, my strength had just been pushed down and packed away that I didn’t know it existed, so I was not self-aware of my present state. I perceived myself to be weak and so I waited and waited until I felt strong enough rather than acting with the strength I did have in that current state.
I think about all of the time I spent in both scenarios and where my life would have been if I had acted when opportunity had presented itself rather than waiting. Maybe I would have gotten help sooner, maybe I would have found self-love and happiness sooner, maybe I would have spent less time bringing myself down and more time being proud of myself for all I have accomplished.
The thing about the past is both you and me do not have the power to change it, but we can learn from our past and use it to fuel our future. I learned the importance of being present and acting in the now from my past.
There is no time like the present to act. There is no time like the present to cherish what is in front of you before the moment becomes just like a memory. You will always want more for yourself, but if you can be present and take in your present moment, you will be able to celebrate every milestone. I try to practice being present by listening wholeheartedly to others when they talk to me, putting my phone away when I am around others so that I can truly be around them and appreciate the beauty and love in each moment. How wonderful would it be to feel present and act in the present moment before missing out on an opportunity to succeed or an opportunity to connect with someone?
What would happen today if you made an effort to be more present? There is so much to look forward to in life, but don’t get so caught up waiting for another opportunity, waiting for your life to change, waiting for sunshine, that you forget to live your life now. Take a moment to pause, what is in front of you? What is the beauty and opportunity in this moment? What can you find in this moment to be grateful for? No matter how bad or dark the situation, there is always, always something to be grateful for. Being present helps you to recognize the little things in your life that you are thankful for. Don’t let moments pass you by because you were not aware of the experiences of your present state. So take a moment to slow down today and be present, act on your current opportunity because there is truly no time quite like the present. Choose happiness today. Choose life and opportunity today. Choose you today. Choose to be present today and act on opportunity today so you can spend your life proud of the life you created, knowing that being present made you appreciate each step along the way and reaching your goals came that much easier.
Xo,
Be Beautifully Simply You