Be Here In the Moment (Day 19 of 30 of the Happiness Challenge)

Worry is the fastest and most effective way of stopping happiness in its tracks.

We worry about stuff that has happened in the past that we can do nothing about or things that haven’t happened yet. We miss out on so many moments of happiness because if we are not careful we are prone to constantly worry, whether its about past or future.

The solution to this is to create moments where we consciously live in the now.

Some people will say it is possible to do that almost all the time, but I have not reached such a point, but being mindful in moments of time is definitely one of my own go-to happiness strategies from the toolbox.

There are lots of amazing little things and nuances that being in the moment can open your eyes too. When we slow down and stop worrying about things outside our control, we can experience moments of bliss.

To start this now, pay attention to what is going on around you now. Maybe you are with your loved ones, enjoy the conversations and interactions with them. At the moment, I am listening to the clickity clack of the keyboard as I write this, its kind of quite rhythmic and relaxing.

Look around and notice the beauty in your surroundings. Each season brings its own beauty that is waiting for you to savor it in the moment.

How does the light fall through the trees, what are shadows like, is there anything more perfect than a flower? Can you feel the wind through your hair, or the sun on your hand, or does the crispness catch your breath?

Every day, week, month and season has treasures to offer you, if you take the time to stop to take notice of them.

Take time to enjoy life with your children and remember you are never too old to play and join in.

This modern life is hectic, We need to slow down, stop and smell the roses instead of worrying or being completely immersed in technology to notice the beauty in the world, the beauty in the moment.

So when you catch yourself worrying about something you can’t change, tell yourself to stop and look for something pretty or be mindful of the activity you are doing even if it's drinking a cup of tea, or taking a shower - immerse yourself in the moment and how it feels to every one of your senses.

It works as a really good pick me up.

Worrying does have its place and some things you just need to decide what action to take in order to change it. Our past is there to learn from and we have future goals and dreams, so we are going to think about the past and future sometimes.

Both are important, we want to plan vacations, our grocery shopping lists, make sure moving house run smoothly, plan a career change etc. These are productive ways of looking ahead.

Sometimes when we look at the past, we can learn from our experiences, right a wrong (My Name is Earl style), improve on it and that is important to recognize as well.

Worry or thinking too much about past or future becomes an issue when you can’t change it and you get stuck in a loop in your head, that can spiral into sadness. When that happens, then this happiness strategy is a really useful one to have mastered.

It will help you stop worrying about things beyond your control, which lets you concentrate and give your energy to the things that really matter.

I wrote this post yesterday ready to post today. Today I came across this story by Hive account@giantbear: No one is as blind as those who don't want to see - A short story which really makes you think about the importance of capturing those moments as memories.