Today’s lesson is part of a little series I’m writing about the importance of making a conscious effort to enjoy your life NOW. Not tomorrow, today. Not later today, but this very moment!
It’s been said a million different ways always but the old cliche is true – there is no guarantee of tomorrow; the only thing we can count on is that we are alive right now. With this in mind, if we want to live the best life possible, then we must focus our attention on enjoying our lives as we are living them. All too often we put off our happiness until some unknown future period (later today, next week, next month, next year!?!) while we fill our lives in the present with the worries of the world that we allow to control our time – little grasping that the sands of our lives are falling away, never to be recovered.
Putting things in perspective
Perhaps one cause for our failure to get more enjoyment out of life is that we sometimes think that in order to have fun, we must experience a life event on a grand scale – such as an expensive vacation, celebrating the completion a major goal in life, attending a big party, etc. While these are certainly events to be enjoyed, they sometimes are associated with self-induced, pressure-packed planning that takes our focus away from living to the fullest today and shifts our hopes towards a delayed, future joy. That could be a problem.
Have you ever asked yourself – “What can I do to just enjoy today?”
There are so many simple joys in life that can provide you pleasure, peace, and fulfillment. If you will but LIVE in THIS moment and BE PRESENT here and now.
How many days have you gone through life without paying attention? How many days/months/years have your wasted your today’s while you think about tomorrow? Stop letting your life trickle away. Make the commitment to yourself to enjoy it TODAY.
Things You Can Do Today to Be Present
Some that come to mind to me include: spending time with your family/friends, cooking a nice meal, meditating (both relaxation and active types), reading a good book, playing/listening to music, walking your dog, painting/drawing, etc. etc.
But the key to being able to enjoy any of these activities is that you must give them your FULL ATTENTION. By doing this you’ll be enjoying your life as you live it. The more ‘moments of being present’ that you can string together like these, the more you will start to live a fuller life without having to wait for a major life event to take place to do so. As they say, never put off for tomorrow what you can do today, right? So stop waiting for life to come to you and START LIVING!
Want to Know More on This Topic?
For another perspective on this topic, consider another article in this series: Don’t Just Get By, LIVE WITH PASSION!
And, Solomon Commands You to Eat, Drink, and Be Merry
That Helpful Dad 