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Being Present

2 min read

Yeap, I'm going to talk about mindfulness. I know, I know, this topic has already lost all its popularity years ago. Nonetheless, I believe it is something that should be included in my blog. So, what exactly is this mindfulness idea? ‘Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us.’ *

I think I've heard of mindfulness a couple of years ago. However, I had no idea what that meant. And I wasn't into meditation or anything, until recently. A few months ago, I've been introduced to this concept again, in a proper way. I've also been told that I should practice it every day. It was a genuine battle; I'm not going to lie. At first, I hated it so much. Because I can't seem to concentrate on the moment. It was incredibly difficult to stay present.

Then I realized I'd never been in the present before. I'm either mourning over the past or worrying about the future. And yet, I'm living in the now. At this very moment, I'm breathing, seeing, and hearing things but not paying attention to them. If you really think about it, this realization is insane! Why are we never in the present even though it is the only thing that makes sense?

There are several practices to help you focus on being present which you could easily find on the internet. I usually concentrate on my breathing or the noises around me. Of course, keeping your focus on this is still tricky. You can easily find yourself thinking about what are you gonna eat tonight. But if this happens, when this happens, you're gently bringing your attention back. It's a bit funny when you first hear it but you're getting used to the language, I promise.

I still cannot say I am able to stay in the present all the time. I am pretty sure I'm barely present. However, I made it a part of my daily routine and now practice it every day. There are plenty of guided mindfulness meditations on YouTube and Spotify. Even if it still doesn't help me stay present all of the time, it does help me manage my stress. I started to notice stuff in my everyday life as well. Moreover, it helped me to understand that most of my unhappiness is either from the past or the future. I get upset about the present moment too, obviously. But it's mostly worrying about things that either already have happened or may or may not happen in the future. This was sort of an enlightening moment for me. And now I'm trying to teach myself that, it's okay to be upset about stuff that is happening in the current moment. But I am not allowed to be upset about what happened yesterday or what will happen tomorrow. Because A, it's not going to help in the long run, at all. B, it's not even real. Yesterday had passed. Tomorrow is yet ahead of us. But all we have is ‘now’. So why be concerned about something you can't change, or don't know whether or not you're gonna face?

Of course, I would be lying if I say it's working perfectly on me. But practice makes it perfect. Apart from that, I'm not even looking for perfection right now. I'm more than happy just trying to remember the idea of this. And I know one day I’ll get there. Or at least I will become closer, anyway.

*https://www.mindful.org/what-is-mindfulness/



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