Being in the now

JupiterKid

How many of us live in the past or the future, our minds filled with regrets over the past and anxieties about the future. What about living in the now? Being attentive, being in the present, being content and having peace of mind.

I have tried to make myself be in the present, I find that being attentive to the task I'm doing really helps. Meditation helps also.

How do AHers get into the now? Do you find inner peace or do you find yourself preoccupied with the past/future with a racing mind?

Thespoofer

JupiterKid wrote: »

How many of us live in the past or the future, our minds filled with regrets over the past and anxieties about the future. What about living in the now? Being attentive, being in the present, being content and having peace of mind.

I have tried to make myself be in the present, I find that being attentive to the task I'm doing really helps. Meditation helps also.

How do AHers get into the now? Do you find inner peace or do you find yourself preoccupied with the past/future with a racing mind?

Give up work, go on the dole. Usually allows to live in the present.

Fox_In_Socks

Nope, for the last couple of years, haven't been able to switch off or immerse myself in a task. Not the way I used to when I was a child anyway, when I'd be focused on something and realise hours later how much time had passed.

My mind needs uncluttering

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

I'm always in the now. Where else makes any sense?

As for meditation: I've always found it to be pure BS.

Live for now. Enjoy memories and embrace the future. What's past is past and can't be changed. The future is anybody's guess.

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

I have a really hard time leaving the past in the past, but I'm getting a little better. I hold grudges like nobodies business and I beat myself up constantly over what should/could have been different. I think I do it to deflect other stuff going on

harry Bailey esq

JupiterKid wrote: »

How many of us live in the past or the future, our minds filled with regrets over the past and anxieties about the future. What about living in the now? Being attentive, being in the present, being content and having peace of mind.

I have tried to make myself be in the present, I find that being attentive to the task I'm doing really helps. Meditation helps also.

How do AHers get into the now? Do you find inner peace or do you find yourself preoccupied with the past/future with a racing mind?

Class A drugs,and mindfulness.

Summer wind

I have loads of regrets about my past. Things I've said and done. I've had lots of sleepless nights going over things in my mind wishing things were different. I try every day to live in the here and now but it's hard. I guess trying to do your best in the here and now will hopefully make the future better.

Thespoofer

+1^

eternal

I fret ahead otherwise I wouldn't eat.

When the Sun Hits

Whenever I attempt to "live in the now" I tend to act incredibly recklessly, spending large amounts of money on alcohol, drugs and a whole host of other shit. I go full "live in the now" beast mode like there's no tomorrow, because when I'm in that mindset there is no tomorrow.

dodderangler

Way too many regres from my past but I wouldn't change it any different as it's made me a stronger person in a way.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

When the Sun Hits wrote: »

Whenever I attempt to "live in the now" I tend to act incredibly recklessly, spending large amounts of money on alcohol, drugs and a whole host of other shit. I go full "live in the now" beast mode like there's no tomorrow, because when I'm in that mindset there is no tomorrow to worry about.

That is not living in the now. That's avoiding life. To live in the now there has to be a future in the mix as well. I live in the now but I have plans for the future: or the now that tomorrow will be.
It's not all or nothing in this life. It's balance and everything in moderation.
Likewise you can't totally ignore the past or what would be the point in having a good now if you can't look back at it.

There's too much philosophical nonsense getting in the way of life for some people. Over thinking, over analysing.

eternal

What are you supposed to do, not think?

bnt

If I have any kind of "venture", I tend to do all my planning and worrying in advance, and then I find i enjoy it more. Getting yourself to the "now" can be quite time-consuming. :P

justchecked

Man who stand on piece of Lego live in the here and nooww.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

eternal wrote: »

What are you supposed to do, not think?

Oh think but don't overthink things that you can do nothing about

Sunnyisland

I won't or don't forget my past, but I don't live in it, I also don't think about the future to much as it hasent arrived yet, nor will it ever,I live for today as that is what's real for now,I can't change my past it's done and I can't know my future as it hasent happened, so it's day to day for me. Does that make sence :-) ?

lazybones32

I reckon I've wasted too much time either dreaming/hoping for a future (without doing the work to bring it about) or stupidly replaying scenarios in my head and perfecting how I should have responded.

I just enjoy what I do. If I'm chatting with a friend...I enjoy it. If I'm sitting out in the evening sunshine (which I haven't done since June) I just enjoy doing it. To me, there is no "being in the now" - it's all about what you let yourself think about.

eternal

Milena Millions Rubber-stamp wrote: »

Oh think but don't overthink things that you can do nothing about

That's incredibly easy to say but in practice is nigh on impossible. Why do you think there's people sucking out of naggins at 8 am on street corners?

lazybones32

eternal wrote: »

That's incredibly easy to say but in practice is nigh on impossible. Why do you think there's people sucking out of naggins at 8 am on street corners?

Your mind is yours. You can discipline it; train it.

It isn't a wild horse...unless you let it be.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

eternal wrote: »

That's incredibly easy to say but in practice is nigh on impossible. Why do you think there's people sucking out of naggins at 8 am on street corners?

Of course it's not nigh on impossible: because millions of people do it every day.
Are you saying those people drinking are doing so because they can't help overthinking their lives? Baah!

eternal

lazybones32 wrote: »

Your mind is yours. You can discipline it; train it.

It isn't a wild horse...unless you let it be.

So you're a robot? You can't control your mind.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

eternal wrote: »

So you're a robot? You can't control your mind.

That's the opposite of what was said. Is this argument for argument's sake?

eternal

Milena Millions Rubber-stamp wrote: »

That's the opposite of what was said. Is this argument for argument's sake?

No. I genuinely can't help over thinking but that could be just me.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

lazybones32 wrote: »

Your mind is yours. You can discipline it; train it.

It isn't a wild horse...unless you let it be.

eternal wrote: »

So you're a robot? You can't control your mind.

eternal wrote: »

No. I genuinely can't help over thinking but that could be just me.

Sorry, the logic of all that is lost on me. Someone says you can discipline your mind and you say they can't control their mind and then that you can't help over thinking things.
No, sorry. I'm out as it doesn't make sense and right now I have better things to enjoy.

J Mysterio

Milena Millions Rubber-stamp wrote: »

Sorry, the logic of all that is lost on me. Someone says you can discipline your mind and you say they can't control their mind and then that you can't help over thinking things.
No, sorry. I'm out as it doesn't make sense and right now I have better things to enjoy.

This guy is really living in the moment.

fancy pigeon

dodderangler wrote: »

Way too many regres from my past but I wouldn't change it any different as it's made me a stronger person in a way.

Amen. My past has shaped the person I am today. Sure I've had some ups and downs, I wouldn't change it though.

Also have gone the other way and tried to see things in a projected future. It drove me mad as I expected it to turn out as I had seen and was heavily disappointed. Older and wiser to know better though

JupiterKid

JupiterKid wrote: »

Being attentive, being in the present, being content and having peace of mind.

I have tried to make myself be in the present, I find that being attentive to the task I'm doing really helps. Meditation helps also.

Sounds like you have been bitten by the bug. There has been a few posters lately espousing this stuff. And I have been one of them in a small way which sparked one regular user to think I was a sock puppet

Mindfullness meditation - Vipassana - all that kind of stuff - has been seeping into "western culture" of late and it is no bad thing - but as with all new fads it has its usual host of "purveyors of woo" coming with it making it hard to distinguish the bad from the good.

And my word how bad some of the bad can get

For me I try to live in the moment on two levels. The meditation level of training ones moment to moment awareness and all that. And for two - on a more day to day level - to simply note those moments in my life where I am "on the way" to somewhere else - and I stop myself and look around and say "what can i do here?"

More often than not - being a parent - the latter comes in a moment where I am driving my kids somewhere or trying to get them somewhere - and I realise "I am here with my kids - talk to them - make a game of the drive with them - enjoy the journey rather than obsess over the destination"

But it comes up time and time again in my life - moments where I am focused on some goal and that little bit of me goes "the moment" and I look around and realise there is some way I, the people around me, or both, could enjoy that moment.

Most of us most of the time are focused on some goal in our immediate or medium future - or obsessing about some recent moment in our past. It does help to do the whole "Wherever you go, there you are" thing.

Anyway thats it before Wibbs calls me a hippy again

Milena Millions Rubber-stamp wrote: »

As for meditation: I've always found it to be pure BS.

So SO much of it really really is. Many branches of it make ridiculous claims without any substantiation of any kind whatsoever. But there are types of it for which you - as one meditating person I read a lot of says - "have to subscribe to NOTHING on insufficient evidence in order to benefit from".

The whole discipline of medicine is rife with woo and nonsense. But I would not write it off as a whole because of that.

When the Sun Hits wrote: »

Whenever I attempt to "live in the now" I tend to act incredibly recklessly, spending large amounts of money on alcohol, drugs and a whole host of other shit. I go full "live in the now" beast mode like there's no tomorrow, because when I'm in that mindset there is no tomorrow.

There is a misconception that living in the moment means ignoring the past or future entirely. The exact opposite is true. From some reason I can not fathom (youll see what I did there) boat analogies are used a lot in conversations like this. And mindfullness "in the moment" disciplines do not teach you to simply spend your time looking around the boat - not caring where it came from or where it is going. But rather to be constantly aware of where it is going - but never to lose sight of everything to do with the boat while you constantly ensure it is going where you want to go.

But many people do make that mistake with living in the moment. Where the boat is going is the last concern on their mind. Often it is "Lets have a party on the boat - and see where it has ended up when we wake up with a hangover in the morning" But living in the moment is the opposite of that. It is keeping one firm hand on the tiller - knowing where you want to go and end up - but enjoying every moment of the trip in the interim.

eternal wrote: »

What are you supposed to do, not think?

Quite the opposite I feel.

NachoBusiness

I went to those Tony Quinn classes many many moons ago, when I was around 21, long before he was selling supplements or owned the Educo Gyms. They were held in that pointing wizard hat shaped building on the coast road to Portmarnock. There was about 50 people per class and there was four or five a day. He must have been minting it.

Anyway, he had these mantras like: ''Believe you have what you want without inner doubt and it will come about".I'm not kidding, there were people there having epileptic fits during these "relaxation classes". People with inoperable cancers. You name it, I seen sufferers of it attend those classes in the hope of getting well / staying alive. All told, I attended them for around an eighteen month or so period. Lots of people there did say they were getting well, has to be said but many also just stopped coming to them, although I tried not to think about why that might have been.

I was reading Tony Robbins stuff back then also. Awaken The Giant Within and both seemed of the same school of thought: 'You can pretty much heal anything if you stop wasting energy with negative thinking', but I eventually had an argument of sorts with one of the staff there as I wasn't getting well, I was getting sicker and the 'live in the now' crap was starting to bug me and many others. Quinn starting pimping supplements to us around this time also and in front of around 75 or so regulars I said: "Last year you told us that we could get well from anything by being in the now" and the person said "Yes, that's right" and so I said "Well, then why do we need to suddenly take these new line of supplements? " They looked furious and a few people came up to me afterwards and thanked me for saying what I did. I never went back.

Tony Robbins, the infomercial guru, has also started selling supplements now. I really think these people do more harm that good. Steven Collins the boxer started to use Quinn's "techniques" around that time also, and honestly believed that he was instrumental in his winning the world title at the time, he doesn't any more however. Eubank was very nervous about fighting Collins at time as he believed that Collins was hypnotized and that he might not be able to feel pain or know when to stop. A lot of it was for show of course, and Collins I think felt that he was just using Quinn to make Eubank nervous, but ultimately I think Collins was the one be used, as Quinn's association with Collins is ultimately what made him the multimillionaire that he is today.

Course, the world was obsessed with that crap back in the early to late 90s. Fecking Oprah Winfrey was leading the way with it all stateside. She had that total wanker Dr. John Gray (Dr my arse) on almost every God damn day talking about "Earth Schools" and how people are here to learn lessons. If he wasn't on she would have that other twat Deepak Chopra on, waffling about life lessons and how you draw your experiences upon you and how your tragedies are here to teach you about yourself. All told, I think people, especially young folk, are better off today if they are having it tough as there was so many leaches around back then to exploit such people and yes I know they are still around, but I don't think they are given as much credence as they once were (thank fcuk).

Jesus Wept

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vaQ-Y6kLOM

lazybones32

eternal wrote: »

So you're a robot? You can't control your mind.

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You can control what thoughts you dwell on. I don't claim to control my mind to the degree that I can prevent a thought or suggestion from entering it, but it is my decision as to what I choose (consciously or otherwise) to think about.

Eternal, learn about the human mind. It is one of the greatest things we'll ever have. And it is very easily trained. It's similar to any other muscle.

Beanntraigheach

I've found excessive focus on the past or future can easily result in the "now" slipping by unappreciated.

NachoBusiness

Love the following (the tweets discussed are here.):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajO5MvL9pVE

ArtSmart

I'm in the now, now.

ArtSmart

no - wait, now.

ArtSmart

no- wait, now.

NachoBusiness

NachoBusiness wrote: »

I went to those

That is exactly the kind of "woo" I just mentioned in the post before. This stuff is not about to cure cancer or change you into a rich man or any of those other maybe PUA things they sell. I am sorry you were even accosted by such folk - let alone the sympathy I have for people who were actually taken in by them.

And I realise that any and every time I espouse the benefits of mindfulness or any of that stuff - I bear the burden of the vicarious embarrassment - and even guilt - that these people generate.

I see above someone has even posted a video mentioning (even in not a good light) the biggest charlatan of them all "deepak" and I seriously wince when I make the kind of noises I do on this subject knowing there are people who will think of him when they listen to me.

fancy pigeon

ArtSmart wrote: »

no- wait, now.

How about now?

ArtSmart

ArtSmart wrote: »

no- wait, now.

Waaaaait for iiiiit.............

Wright

Thespoofer wrote: »

Give up work, go on the dole. Usually allows to live in the present.

In what way. Surely having tasks to do in your job keeps you in the now. Not sitting on your own wondering what you did wrong in that interview etc.

So really, the opposite of what you claim is true.

Miss Demeanour

Don't cry about the past.....it's gone.
Don't worry about the future....it hasn't arrived.
Live in the present just be happy.













Hope the bottle of wine I had an hour ago doesn't give me a hangover in the morning though.......cos I'm happy now.....

Ave Sodalis

eternal wrote:

So you're a robot? You can't control your mind.

Of course you can control your mind! Do you live your whole life entirely on impulse?
People control their minds in all sorts of ways, from simple stuff like not letting their temper get the better of them, to overcoming depression, to more extreme control like the people who can control their body temperature and control pain.

As for how to live in the present, Peaceful Warrior shows it perfectly when the main guy asks how to think in the present so the other guy fires him over the bridge and walks off. Then explains that the main guy was completely in the present when he was falling, he even had a word for it: "ahhhhhh!"
I'm seriousness though, people are very dismissive of mindfulness (or whatever label is stuck on it) but I wonder are these the same people who say depression can't be overcome and get angry when you suggest otherwise. One of the main ways I overcame depression a few years ago was by trying to live in the present as much as possible.

4068ac1elhodqr

You need one of these watches, always accurate time readouts.

Modern technology is very deceptive, it was meant to save us all time with robot vacuum cleaners, remote controls, tweets n' emails.

But you'll find a day appears to last much longer if you turn it off and climb a mountain, take a swim, catch some fish, then have a good ole barbecue and a beer in the great outdoors.

ArtSmart

Now!


(alright, nuff a dat)

bodhrandude

I think you can only be in the now if your name is Philip Green.

Mr_Spaceman

Yesterday is history,
Tomorrow is a mystery,
Today is a gift,
That's why it's called the present

DivingDuck

Rodrigo Squeaking Headhunter wrote: »

But you'll find a day appears to last much longer if you turn it off and climb a mountain, take a swim, catch some fish, then have a good ole barbecue and a beer in the great outdoors.

Time does always seem to drag when you're bored...

kunst nugget

Take a load of yokes and go raving. Usually worked for me in the past. Different family situation these days so if doesn't hold the same appeal anymore. Also having kids means living in the now isn't a possibility as something is always in the back of your mind that needs to be sorted out. Not that I mind tbh - a hug from one of the kids usually helps calm the mind better than any round of meditation ever did.

Pumpkin PJs Fan No.9

Living in anything but the "now" is a physical impossibility... unless you are dead... and time travel doesn't count either because you are still technically in your "now"...

You can live entirely up your own ass though - metaphorically speaking... it's fun!!

Christopher Llyod was also in many films.
______________________

"Still... an awesome ****ing Pumpkin!!"

Menas

The past does not hold me back, but I do have trouble enjoying a lot of the now as am always looking for the next thing...looking forward.

I do stop to think about the past on anniversaries etc... and then get sad and quiet.

Wibbs

eternal wrote: »

So you're a robot? You can't control your mind.

Eh yes you can. We do it all the time. This idea that somehow the mind is this separate uncontrollable wild horse that we're strapped to is IMH the cause of a lot of needless suffering. Every time you learn something new you're controlling your mind, every new habit you make, you're controlling your mind. You can make new better habits. It takes work of course and that seems to be the stumbling block for many. They want the easy fix.