Start Being In the Moment...Now

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I often hear people talk about "being in the moment," the way you might say "I want to learn to play the saxophone" - like an objective you could achieve if you only had a little more time or money, maybe next month after you finish cleaning the garage, or once you retire. "I need to be in the moment more."

I think this would make a great headline in The Onion:

I'm Going to Be In the Moment...Next Week

"Being in the moment" is simpler than you think. It doesn't cost money. It doesn't take time. It's not hard. You don't have to cram your body into yoga pants and sit in the lotus position. You don't have to move to New Jersey, learn Japanese, get a guru, believe in chakras, or even meditate.

Here's all you have to do to be in the moment:

Whatever you are doing right now: pause for a moment and notice that. "I am here, doing this." If you are experiencing strong emotions, you may want to pause and notice your emotions. "I am here, feeling this."

Congratulations. You were just in the moment!

It feels good. Whenever I do it, it feels like I am living my life, instead of constantly riding on a train to get somewhere else.

So, if that felt good...well, do it more!

The challenge is in trying to remember to do it, and trying to stick with it when you don't want to. Because of course nobody wants to be in the moment when the moment doesn't feel so good. Yuk. Run away! And when the moment feels great, we're too busy taking pictures and posting them on Instagram to actually say, "Wow! I'm experiencing this!"

A whole industry of talking, writing and advice-giving, complete with websites, institutions and practices, has arisen to try to help people address that challenge. And many people have been helped by this advice and these systems. But people sometimes confuse all that commentary, all that lifestyle, with actually "being in the moment." 

So don't let the commentary distract you. Remember that "Being in the Moment" is just that.

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