5 Inspirations for Being in the Moment

Normally, we do not so much look at things as overlook them. — Alan Watts.

Every Thursday is Happiness Day on Zen Habits.

How often have you eaten a meal and not really tasted it, or completed a chore or drove to work without really thinking about it?

Our days often pass us by while our minds are elsewhere.

One of my favorite methods of finding happiness and preventing stress is living in the moment — also known as mindfulness. It’s one of the foundations of Zen Buddhism, of course, (actually all Buddhism, I believe), but it’s not necessarily meditation, per se — it’s more being aware of your actions and thoughts, and what your senses bring in, in your every day routine.

No one actually lives in the moment all the time — I don’t think it’s possible. Some, with practice, can learn to live in the moment for longer than most of us, but there will always be times when you’re worried about the future or thinking about the past, and forget to be in the moment.

It’s actually pretty hard, if you give it a try. Test it out right now: close your eyes (after reading these instructions first), and concentrate on your breathing — the sensation of the air as it enters your nose or mouth and fills your lungs, and as it goes out again. If other thoughts come up, be aware of them, acknowledge them, let them go (but don’t try to force them away) and then return your focus to your breathing.

It’s hard, isn’t it? Being in the moment isn’t as easy as it sounds.

It takes practice. But it can be achieved at times. To help inspire you to live in the moment, here are 5 great examples:

Children. There’s no one better at being present than a child. I love to watch my three-year-old son, Seth, as he plays. He’s not thinking about what happened to him yesterday, or what he’s going to do later today. He’s Spiderman, and he’s fighting the bad guys, and nothing else in the world exists. If he gets mad about something, he overreacts, and nothing else in the world matters but what has upset him. But he’ll cry about it, and then soon return to normal, happy again, the offending situation forgotten without a grudge. He has no cares about tomorrow, and for that, I love to watch him. We need to use children as inspiration, and try to be like them sometimes. Jesus instructed us, “Be as a child,” and those were wise words.
Cats. I also like watching my cat, Riddle. He thinks he’s a lion. He’ll stealthily stalk an insect or lizard, as if he’s hidden in tall grass on the savanna, and then he pounces and attacks. You know he’s not thinking about what he had for breakfast or what furniture needs to be clawed to shreds later in the day. Cats (and other animals) are all about the Now. Be like a cat.
My wife and dessert. My wife Eva really knows how to eat dessert. Actually, of all the people I know, she may be the best at being in the moment, completely. She can really enjoy something, with all of her being. I’ve learned how to eat dessert by watching her — while I tend to gobble something quickly, Eva closes her eyes, and slowly puts a spoon of ice cream in her mouth. She savors the flavor, the texture, the coolness, the sweetness, the chocolateness of it. Eva enjoys things more than most human beings, and she inspires me. The next time you eat something, try not to think about anything else, not to read, not to talk to someone — just experience the food.
Zen sweeper. It’s been said that the only two jobs of a Zen monk are sitting zazen (meditation) and sweeping. Cleaning is one of the daily rituals of a Zen monk, one of their most important daily practices. They sweep or rake, and they try to do nothing else. They aren’t thinking about being in a Zen state — the Zen state is the sweeping. The next time you’re doing housework (or anything, really), try concentrating on the housework, on the dust, on the motion, on the sensation. See this interesting article for more on this.
Yourself, lost in something. You’ve been in the moment plenty of times. Can you remember a time when you lost yourself in a task? Not lost in thought, but lost in the doing of the task itself — you were concentrating fully, you thought of nothing else. The world disappeared. It might have been work — you might have achieved that state of mind known as “flow” — or it could have been a hobby, playing sports, yardwork, fixing something, anything. Try to remember a time like that, and replicate it.

See also:

5 Inspirations for Being in the Moment

Normally, we do not so much look at things as overlook them. — Alan Watts.

Every Thursday is Happiness Day on Zen Habits.

How often have you eaten a meal and not really tasted it, or completed a chore or drove to work without really thinking about it?

Our days often pass us by while our minds are elsewhere.

It’s hard, isn’t it? Being in the moment isn’t as easy as it sounds.

It takes practice. But it can be achieved at times. To help inspire you to live in the moment, here are 5 great examples:

Children. There’s no one better at being present than a child. I love to watch my three-year-old son, Seth, as he plays. He’s not thinking about what happened to him yesterday, or what he’s going to do later today. He’s Spiderman, and he’s fighting the bad guys, and nothing else in the world exists. If he gets mad about something, he overreacts, and nothing else in the world matters but what has upset him. But he’ll cry about it, and then soon return to normal, happy again, the offending situation forgotten without a grudge. He has no cares about tomorrow, and for that, I love to watch him. We need to use children as inspiration, and try to be like them sometimes. Jesus instructed us, “Be as a child,” and those were wise words.
Cats. I also like watching my cat, Riddle. He thinks he’s a lion. He’ll stealthily stalk an insect or lizard, as if he’s hidden in tall grass on the savanna, and then he pounces and attacks. You know he’s not thinking about what he had for breakfast or what furniture needs to be clawed to shreds later in the day. Cats (and other animals) are all about the Now. Be like a cat.
My wife and dessert. My wife Eva really knows how to eat dessert. Actually, of all the people I know, she may be the best at being in the moment, completely. She can really enjoy something, with all of her being. I’ve learned how to eat dessert by watching her — while I tend to gobble something quickly, Eva closes her eyes, and slowly puts a spoon of ice cream in her mouth. She savors the flavor, the texture, the coolness, the sweetness, the chocolateness of it. Eva enjoys things more than most human beings, and she inspires me. The next time you eat something, try not to think about anything else, not to read, not to talk to someone — just experience the food.
Zen sweeper. It’s been said that the only two jobs of a Zen monk are sitting zazen (meditation) and sweeping. Cleaning is one of the daily rituals of a Zen monk, one of their most important daily practices. They sweep or rake, and they try to do nothing else. They aren’t thinking about being in a Zen state — the Zen state is the sweeping. The next time you’re doing housework (or anything, really), try concentrating on the housework, on the dust, on the motion, on the sensation. See this interesting article for more on this.
Yourself, lost in something. You’ve been in the moment plenty of times. Can you remember a time when you lost yourself in a task? Not lost in thought, but lost in the doing of the task itself — you were concentrating fully, you thought of nothing else. The world disappeared. It might have been work — you might have achieved that state of mind known as “flow” — or it could have been a hobby, playing sports, yardwork, fixing something, anything. Try to remember a time like that, and replicate it.

See also:

Posted on 12 July 2007 in Happiness |
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Comments (22)

james Says:

July 12th, 2007, 5:19 am

I can’t decide which is better. Enjoying the minutiae of cleaning by reaching a state of mindfulness, or achieving “flow” and not having to remember doing it at all.

W Octagon Says:

July 12th, 2007, 7:10 am

“How often have you eaten a meal and not really tasted it, or completed a chore or drove to work without really thinking about it?” — I very rarely can’t remember the taste of a meal, or almost every moment of my drive to work. I guess it’s because I love food and driving.

I tried your test here and, although there was noise & other distractions in the room, I could concentrate completely on my breathing and experienced no interuptions at all. It was so incredibly relaxing, and so easy, and so very refreshing. It certainly will not be the last time I try this experiment.

Raghibsuleman Says:

July 12th, 2007, 7:12 am

This is very nice………….

Steven Chabot Says:

July 12th, 2007, 7:41 am

Only when you are concentrating on nothing are you getting it. In the manner of the Diamond Sutra:

Subhuti, when a monk sweeps, sits, eats, meditates, chants or checks his e-mail, is he aiming for something called a “zen state”?

No World-Honored One. When a monk sweeps, sits, eats, meditates, chants or checks his e-mail, he is not aiming for something called a “zen state” Why? Because the Tathagata teaches us that a zen state is really non-zen state, that is why it is called “zen state”

Pierre Lourens Says:

July 12th, 2007, 9:11 am

Every day (and every sandwich) is a good one. I appreciate that.

Scott Says:

July 12th, 2007, 11:01 am

I have a son and you are so true with what you say in the first point. While I am not a worrier and would consider myself very happy, I do often look at him and think how wonderful it is not to have a care in the world. No thinking about bills, organising life’s requirements etc. Like you said he is playing and that is all he is thinking about. Complete happiness in the moment and not thinking about anything outside the moment. Perfect.

Grayson De Ritis Says:

July 12th, 2007, 11:17 am

How very beneficial it can be to live in the moment! I’ve been working on this but still have a ways to go; I appreciate this post, Leo.

AgentSully Says:

July 12th, 2007, 11:19 am

Leo, It’s so nice to hear your inspirations and about your family. I notice the same thing with my 3 yr old son too. It’s so wonderful when we can just stop trying to make them go at our pace and bring ourselves into their world.

I recently wrote about something similar, taking time to observe ourselves and the benefits we can gain from this.

Thanks for sharing and making me smile!
Sully

Rebecca Says:

July 12th, 2007, 13:35 pm

No. 3 is also good for weight loss! It forces you to eat more slowly. I’ve read that it takes 20 minutes for digestion to reach the brain, so you are better off taking your time and you won’t need to eat as much.

I find the “quality not quantity” approach is great for food intake. I really enjoy savoring a high quality lovely bit of dark chocolate after a meal. One square…that’s it. I let it melt in my mouth and I can taste all the complexities (as with wine).

John Says:

July 12th, 2007, 13:43 pm

Be Here Now - words I repeat often

Leo Says:

July 12th, 2007, 16:56 pm

Great comments, everyone! I think most of you are aware that being in the moment is a good thing … I just wanted to give y’all a reminder and some inspiration! :)

Janna Says:

July 12th, 2007, 20:19 pm

Mindfulness is something I’ve been working on in my own life. As someone who suffers from chronic anxiety, this is incredibly difficult. Thank you for these wonderful tips! I’ll try to incorporate them into my own life :)

Mark Says:

July 12th, 2007, 20:56 pm

Thanks Leo. I hope to see more posts about mindfulness and “flow”. I am having a very difficult time focussing and getting work done. Those rare states of flow are my only hope!

Glenn Says:

July 12th, 2007, 23:49 pm

Great post! As musician Warren Zevon was being ravaged by cancer, he did an entire hour on the David Letterman show. Dave asked Warren if his battle had given him any insights into life. Warren’s response was, “Yeah. Enjoy every sandwich.”

james Says:

July 13th, 2007, 0:00 am

That’s brilliant! It sums it up for me.

Shine Says:

July 13th, 2007, 12:16 pm

Be at the present moment. It’s indeed not easy - when you really come to think about it. We are thinking about something else when we are crossing the road, we are talking when we are having lunch, we watch the news without playing attention… We wasted precious time and memories…

Ryan Says:

July 14th, 2007, 19:26 pm

It really takes a large amount of effort to stay “in the moment”. Fortunately, if you do find the right methods and motivation, being aware of the moment can really lead to a much-needed breakthrough. Thinks for the tips, I’m a new fan.

William Profet :: OneJobTwoSalaries.com Says:

July 14th, 2007, 21:29 pm

I think that living the moment requires to open widely all your senses:

1) Open your eyes and see the life.
2) Open your ears and hear the sounds of “now”.
3) Open your nose and smell the scent of life.
4) Open your tongue (he-he, try it :)) and taste the food’s energy.
5) Open your skin (don’t do it at home, kids) and feel the air, the touch, the movement…

If you open yourself to life it will fill up yourself.

Regards,
William

Adam Lofbomm Says:

July 19th, 2007, 0:22 am

Here’s a very relevant quote from Father Thomas Keating that I recently came across and found useful:

“If we refuse to think of anything except what we are doing or the person that we are with, we develop the habit of being present to the present moment. In a way, the present moment becomes as sacred as being in church. Far better to be present to your duty if you are a bartender, than to be present in church and to be thinking about being in a bar. At least you are present to yourself when you are paying attention to what you are doing.

“Attention, then, is a way of doing what we are doing. It cracks the crust of the false self (our psychological awareness of daily life) in which we are the center of the universe while everything else is circling around our particular needs or desires. This is an illusion, but unfortunately it is the heritage we all bring with us from early life.”

94stranger Says:

August 3rd, 2007, 4:26 am

what day is nothing-something-anything-probably ‘unproductive’-being allowed to just be without being anything-absolutely no self-improvement today-day?

Steve Says:

March 14th, 2008, 20:57 pm

I had a helluva time driving after accidentally getting “stuck” in awareness - every single damned decision was a conscious one, every twitch of the wheel and every tap on the brake pedal, and, let me tell you, it was exhausting!
Fortunately, it passed after a few hours.
Whew!

RoH Says:

March 17th, 2008, 11:55 am

Good post!!
I love nature and I think that getting connected with nature is another way to live in the present.
And we should stop realizing time if we need to live in the present.I mean we should forget these things :mobile phones,laptops,TV,Internet and MONEY!
I am extremely focused and enjoy drinking green tea!!Thats another way to live in the moment!! :-)
Your comments on my thoughts will be appreciated!!