Sometimes overthinking can keep us from living our best lives. Usually, it has to do with our minds being focused on the past or the future. How many times have you been grief-stricken over a conversation that didn’t go the way you would have liked? Or worried about something that you feared would be happening in the near future? Probably countless times, at least for those with anxiety.
Learning to be present in the moment can help us overcome anxious thoughts, and allow us to find the happiness that is within ourselves. But what does being present really mean? Aren’t I already here? Wherever I am? Well, yes. Yes, you are. The real question is, is your mind here?
Many of us float through life focused on the past or the future. Being present is practice. With a little self-discipline and a lot of will power, you can train your mind to be present wherever you are. This will allow happiness and peace to overflow in your life.
Overcoming The Mind
Our minds are constantly thinking about what was or what could be, but never what is. We cannot think about what is because it is happening right now. This is what it means to be present. Existing right now, in what is, without giving control to your mind. This is why the present moment is sometimes called ‘the now,’ by people like Eckhart Tolle in books like Stillness Speaks.
When we exist in the moment without the constraints of our minds, peace and love are allowed to come to the forefront. Our minds often disguise things that are outside of our bodies as things that make us happy. However, happiness can only really be found within you. As you begin to become more presently aware, you will begin to have a more positive outlook and therefore a happy life.
Being present isn’t always easy, though. Especially not so when you are only beginning to become aware of the present moment. Becoming consciously aware of and existing in the now can be practiced through mediation and disciplining your mind. If you want to know more about meditation, look into my article on meditation benefits and basics. I also recommend the headspace app, as it is something that has helped me go further in my journey into the now.
Raising Your Conscious Awareness
Through being present, your conscious awareness is naturally heightened. As you begin to become more consciously aware of the present moment, you are opening the door to a happy life. From this awareness, you will begin to notice just how much your mind controls you. Am I not my mind? You may ask. The answer is no, no you are not. Your deepest essence is your soul, and this is a reflection of who you really are.
You may think of yourself in 3 parts. At the surface, you may identify with your body. At the next level would be your identification with your mind. Lastly, and most deeply, would be your soul. Depending on your level of conscious awareness (which I will explain in-depth, at a later time) ou along with the greater majority of the human population likely identify with your mind more than anything. This is not a bad thing, per se. It is all just apart of the journey. If you want to know more about identification with the mind, it is helpful to read books such as The Power of Now, to learn about things such as the ego.
Letting go of your ego is a difficult thing. The ego in this context is defined by how you identify yourself such as your name, your personality, your gender, or things you believe you are inherently born with and you feel shape you as a person. When you become familiar with the present moment, you will notice your ego beginning to dissipate the further you go along in your journey. Of course, you will still be you, just as you are. But, you will realize that you along with everyone else and everything are apart of a much greater oneness. An oneness that goes far beyond your own physical and mental identity. This realization will lead you to a happy life.
Your Vibrational Frequency
Learning to be present helps raise your vibrational frequencies. Your conscious awareness can also be synonymous with your vibrations. The higher your consciousness, the higher are your vibrations. The higher your vibrations are, the happier you are and the more positive you are. You have probably heard someone say ‘sending positive vibes.’ This can be both literal and figurative, but not many people are aware of this.
Every person thought, item, animal, or thing has a level of consciousness (aka vibrational frequency). The lower the vibration is the less conscious the thing is, which thus draws similar energies towards itself. Things or people with a lower vibration are often considered negative. On the flip side, those who have a higher vibration, are often considered to be positive and live a happy life.
Individuals who have been known throughout time to have incredibly high vibrations are people like Buddha, Gandhi, Bodhidharma, Jesus, Huang Po, and Mother Teresa. While these are only a few of the individuals who have reached a very high level of consciousness, they are named here in this article to provide context as to how well known and far spread their energies have reached throughout the millennia.
To learn more about the vibrational frequencies of people, things, animals, thoughts, or events it can be helpful to read books such as Truth vs Falsehood by David Hawkins. This book is a book more for the academic reader, who wishes to know the science about vibrational energies. I found this book to be helpful in confirming things I had already felt true to my heart.
With this overview of how to be present for a happy life, I believe this a good time to end this post. Don’t let a tendency to overthink keep you from living the life of your dreams. Peace and happiness are possible for everyone. To learn more download my free eBook below, and start living a life you love.
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