6 Keys to live in the moment


Happiness can be achieved only in the present moment because that’s the only moment we have. Most of the time unhappiness results from going through a negative event in the past or worrying about something that might happen in the future. Both of these thoughts are not constructive and will not result in long lasting happiness. The only way out of this is to be happy in the present moment. I recently read the book the Happiness Track by Emma Seppala and it was a good book. There was a mention of the six keys to live in the moment. Here they are with my take on each.
Tap into your resilience - Resilience is one of the most important qualities any one needs to succeed in an ever changing market environment. It is the ability to bounce back in spite of the inevitable setbacks. Some of the ways to develop resilience are craft a mission statement for your life, define your values, maintain an optimistic attitude and develop a high appreciation for life. Check out my article on 10 keys to developing resilience.10 Tips to develop Resilience
Manage your energy - Energy is the key currency of the 21st century. The reason is with so many things calling our attention and the advent of social media it is necessary to maintain our energy both physical and mental. Be clear on what your priorities are on any given day. Sleep 7-8 hours and think of yourself like a prized athlete because you are. Take care of your health by eating and exercising well on a daily basis. Do something nice for yourself every single day. For me going to gym daily makes me happy, reading makes me happy and writing does the same thing. So I do these three things on most of the days and I try to maintain my energy and happiness levels high all the time. Also if you are working on something important disconnect from social media and disable notifications. This increases energy to get tasks done. Have breaks scheduled for your work day. Work in 90 minute increments and take a break for 5 min with a walk. Sitting for long periods of time is not good for your overall health.
Do nothing - This is a simple tactic and that is with the noise level so high and so many things demanding our attention the key is to schedule times of solitude. I struggle with this one even though I know its value. One thing that does help for me is to get up early around 5am and read for thirty minutes before getting to the gym. This does help in reducing stress levels. Not checking emails in the evening when you are with family is a great way to disconnect. Again it is a challenge but results are worth the effort.
Be good to yourself - I think all of us have unrealistic expectations from ourselves. For example the thing most of us want (me included) is to reduce our weight. I exercise daily but I still want to reduce 10 pounds. At one time I was checking my weight daily and now I just check once in a week or two weeks. I think we need to have a more gentle way to handle ourselves. Even I don't believe in wearing the Fitbit and tracking every movement of mine. I agree we need to move more but I don't want to be monitored for 24 hours. Our forefathers didn't have these tools but there are a few who lived long. It was due to habits. So work on changing your bad habits but don't expect you to be perfect because that will never happen.
Show compassion to others - This is obvious but bears repetition. If someone makes mistakes think what might have led them to make the mistake. Forgiveness is the key to the kingdom of happiness. We have to really forgive everyone including ourselves. Sometimes we find that public figures the people we have adored make a silly mistake or tell a lie and we are devastated. I used to feel the same some years back but over the years I started realizing that all of us make mistakes. Just because someone has become a celebrity doesn't mean they are any different from us. They are human and make the same mistakes as everyone else. So just relax, accept all your mistakes and accept everyone else's mistakes. The only thing sure in life is we are going to make mistakes and also see others make them. Be gentle with everyone you meet.
Anticipatory joy - This is when you feel joyous in expectation of a future event. Your imagination rules the world. So why not imagine success and joy all the time. This surely increases happiness levels. For me this can mean going for my workout, reading my favorite book or preparing for my next blog post. This future anticipation increases joy in the present moment.
Happiness can be felt only in the present moment. The key learning here is don’t postpone happiness and enjoy the present moment to the maximum.
 The views expressed here are my own and do not represent my organization.

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