You hear people say the expression “live in the present, enjoy the now” over and over again. It’s one of those sayings that most people just listen to, agree with and then continue on with their lives without any change. But this expression is actually very very important and can help you in becoming a better version of yourself.
I heard a quote the other day and the more I think about it, the more unbelievably true it is, but I will break it down a little bit: “Those who are depressed in life are still living their lives in the past.” I know many people who are depressed. Something happened in their lives, a traumatic experience or what have you, and it alters their thinking. They can’t let go of this, move past it, or overcome it because they think about it all day long. The past is something that no matter how many “what if’s” you try to think of, or how many times you tell yourself “I shouldn’t have been so naïve” it will never change what happened. I am a firm believer of everything happens for a reason, although we may not know these reasons, or we don’t understand them, they have a purpose in our lives. They help us find ourselves and test us to our ultimate breaking points for ourselves to see how strong we can really be.
It takes a lot to forget the situations that made you the person you are. I’m not saying to forget all of the memories, but don’t let those stop you from moving forward in your life. Don’t let your loser ex-boyfriend with commitment issues make you think that every other guy that you meet will be the same way and do the same things that he did. Trust is something that has to be built, yes, but you have to at least give the other person the opportunity to build it. If you want to be successful, and you want to reach your goals and achieve your dreams, you have to let go of all the negative from your past. Don’t fuel it in your mind and create bigger scenarios, which in return only lowers you even more.
The second line of this quote also spoke to me: “If you are anxious in life, you are living in the future.” For most living in the future doesn’t sound half bad, in fact it makes you seem like you will be prepared for what is to come. But, by always having your mind focused on what you want to happen, your passing the time on what is happening. If you have goals to start a business, it makes sense that you would be thinking ahead to when the business is up and running and how successful it is going to be. But when you reside in that thought for too long, when something happens that delays you, or maybe knocks everything off of it’s track, you aren’t going to know what to do. The way this world works, operates and functions changes daily, we could never know what exactly it is going to be like in 5-10 years from now. Especially with technology and business.
Don’t speed up your time any faster than it is already going. Take things step by step; enjoy the learning process and the journey that it entails. Maintain the relationships with the people that you have around you now, because you never know when their time is done. It’s okay to be anxious for what the future has to bring, but the best part about it is that it will be a surprise for each and every one of us.
The last line of this quote is the most truthful thing that I have heard in awhile: “When your life is at peace, you are living in the now.” very powerful and so very true. When you relax, clear your mind, have no stress and no worries of what happened previously, you have the chance to enjoy every single second on this Earth to its fullness. You can see the world for what it really is and for all that it has to offer. You wake up every morning smiling, grateful for all life has given you, but with knowledge that you’re going to keep moving forward. You take everything one step at a time and you fully indulge in your journey. You enjoy all the curve balls that life throws at you, you think of them more as obstacles instead of failures. You are happy and content with the direction that your life is going, and if you are questioning some aspects, you take initiative to change them and to alter how you want them to turn out.
You will see that living in the now and being more open to everything around you, that you will be ultimately happier, stress will fade away and time will move at the pace it is supposed to. There may be things that you need to do in order to release the past and I suggest that you do these things sooner rather than later. You deserve to live your live at peace, we all deserve to be at peace.
“Those who are depressed are still living in the past,
If you are anxious in life, you are living in the future,
And when your life is at peace, you are living in the now.”
Which stage are you living in currently? In which stage do you ultimately want to be? What do you have to do to get there?
The Clarity Of Mind 