Back in November 2012 I decided to apply to two doctoral Clinical Psychology programs here in Texas. I got all of my admissions requirements together and had them sent to the schools with due diligence, and ever since then I have been on a roller coaster of anxiety towards my future. I’ve found myself in the constant struggle of trying to plan a life that may very well not happen (I have 2 in 300 chances of getting admitted to either of these two schools) and keeping my current life on hold until I find whether I have been admitted or not. It’s been an exhausting two months planning for this un-lived life.
Fortunately, I realized that my anxiety stemmed from my inability to remain in the moment and I have now more or less surrendered to whatever may come and am more focused on making the most out of my current experience. It is my goal, after all, to be able to bring passion to everything I do regardless of the outcome.
So if you are wondering what are some of the benefits of living in the now, here are five benefits you can expect to see in your life once you make the personal commitment to living in the moment:
1. Reduced stress and anxiety. There is a fine line between just not caring about where you are taking your life and worrying about every single little detail. As always, it is about finding the right tension of opposites between the two. However, the moment you decide to stay in the now and leave the pain and regret where it belongs (in the past), and what does not yet exist where it belongs (in the future), you open yourself up to freedom, and with freedom can only come release. Aaaaaah.
2. You get to start over. Once you come back to the moment, you get the chance to decide where it is that you want to direct your thoughts and you get to decide where you truly want to go. Otherwise, you are giving your power away to complexes that you very well know are not serving your personal development.
3. You stop the vicious cycle. When you’re not in the moment and look back in regret because you did not live your life to its fullest capacity, you remain stuck in a vicious cycle. The trick is to catch yourself and come back to the now where regret is but a figment of your imagination and where a brand new start awaits for you.
4. Improved self-esteem. When you learn to stay in the now and leave regret and pain behind, you have the choice of what you will make of yourself as I have been discussing in previous posts. It is only in the now that you have the choice to forgive and love yourself unconditionally–despite the outcome, your mistakes, and your idea of who you think you should be.
5. A greater sense of the divine. God, Shiva, Buddha, Jehova… whatever you call it, I’ve come to realize that when I stop and bring my mind back to the now and experience the moment with my entire being (not just my mind), everything seems to come alive and I can truly experience how everything is truly prosperous and meant to be as is.
Are there any additional benefits to staying in the present moment that you would life to share? Please do comment if you think of anything I have not mentioned here.
Numinosity 