“Life is a preparation for the future; and the best preparation for the future is to live as if there were none.”
― Albert Einstein

In our society we are always thinking about and planning for the future. We go through the day thinking about spending time with a friend at the end of the week, being able to afford the bills, or wondering if we will be able to get a job when we graduate. Not only do we worry about the future, but we tend to relive and mull-over the past. Wondering how our life could be different if we just did this or said that. We spend a fraction of our time fully engaged in the moment.

How would life be different if one were to be fully engaged and present from moment to moment?  Would it be happier, more rewarding, or less stress-filled?  Would one’s memory be better, and possibly cognition or retention of reading?  Is it possible that there would be less accidents and road rage?

Some people have lately expressed concern over stepping back a bit and learning how to fully listen to others. Others have had a hard time concentrating on the task at hand.  Still yet others are concerned about their loved one’s inability to be fully present in the relationship or family. These are all different situations in which one would like to be present. Let’s start be defining what it means, feels like, and looks like to be in the present moment.

Learning to be in the present means being fully in your body, full in the moment and fully there, wherever that may be. It is having your awareness on your surroundings and those you are interacting with. It also means being in touch with your feelings as they arise.  It is like living every moment like it is the only moment right now!

Suggestions on how to be present:

• Focus on your breath
• Focus on your heartbeat
• Use crystals
• Ask a couple key questions
• Learn from children and animals

Putting attention on one’s breathing can help focus you on the present moment.  As you breathe in and out, feel the air and notice how it travels through your body. Find a style of breathing or a breathing technique that works best for you and incorporate that into your day. Ocean Jasper is a stone that helps one when practicing certain types of breathing.  It can be carried in the pocket or worn as a pendant.

Focusing on one’s heartbeat is another helpful way to stay in the present moment. Focusing on that central spot in your energy system helps to focus and distribute energy evenly. Hearing the beat of a heart is calming relaxing and centering. Rhodochrosite is a stone for the heart chakra and encourages spontaneous expression of feelings.  Expressing and releasing feelings helps one to live in the moment and stay centered in the heart.

If just getting focused is hard to do, use a piece of tiger’s eye which is helpful in focusing and pulling together scattered energy. Make it a red tiger’s eye so it can help you stay motivated to be present!

To help bring one’s self back into the present moment, there are some many questions to consider asking:

• What am I being told today?
• What am I aware of right now?
• What is the next step for me in this moment?

These questions help bring one back into the present moment and bring awareness of the present activities. No need to come up with long answers. Asking the right questions help to focus thoughts in the here and now.

Children and animals are perfect examples of being in the moment.  Have you ever watched a young child so wrapped in their play that they did no notice anyone else in the room?  They get so engrossed in what it is they are doing, nothing else at that moment matters. The expression, “like a dog with a bone” also illustrates being in the moment.  That dog wants to get that bone and gnaw on it to its heart’s content. The common denominator is that both children and animals do what they love to do and they wholeheartedly immerse themselves in it. Find what you love to do and get lost in it. “I can’t do that,” you might be saying right now. “I’ve got bills to pay.” There are many reasons to not be doing something that you love. I am suggesting that you figure out what you do love and start out by scheduling an hour a day to do that and only that. Try it for a month and observe the changes. Ruby can be worn to encourage you to make time to do what you love.

Taking small steps on a consistent basis to live in the moment will benefit you in a multitude of ways. The preceding information touched on a handful of tips to accomplish this.  It is a journey to always be present so remember to always give yourself grace during the process. Try many different techniques to see what works best for you. Be aware that what worked last year, may be different than what will work today.