5 Helpful Ways To Live In The Moment

It was a mess of a day.

I had an inkling it might be as soon as I unlocked the door at work, walked in, and heard the fire panel alarm going off. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather not start my work day that way.

Days can start off alarming (literally!). Things happen beyond our control. Sometimes life doesn’t go as planned. We experience bumps in the road and detours on our path. Inconveniences can rob us of our joy, and mishaps can bump our happy.

Yes, our days can get quite messy. I’m living proof of that. But, after a recent reminder, I’ve been intentional about living in the moment I’m in. Embracing the here and now. Experiencing all life has to offer right this very minute. Choosing to live in the moment.

I so desire to live in the moment.

But for about an hour today, I desired to live anywhere else but in the moments I found myself. To top it all off, when I tried to make a cup of coffee this afternoon, the Keurig chose to dribble out enough coffee to just cover the bottom of my cup instead of blessing me with a full cup of joy.

Staring in the cup, I questioned it as if it could answer me back. “Seriously??”

So, I failed at living in the moment for a time today.

Until I made a decision that even an hour of distracted, discouraged, disappointed living was nothing but unnecessary and useless. I made this list, and made some changes in my attitude.

5 Helpful Ways To Live In The Moment

1 – Be Thankful

No matter what’s happening around us, we can choose to be thankful. Make a mental list (or a real one) of everything you are thankful for that you can think of in 30 seconds. Everything from your pet, to the people in your life, to the working members of your body, to food, to running water. Being thankful helps us live in the moment.

2 – Look Around You

Stop and notice what’s around us throughout the day. What can you appreciate? What can you enjoy right this very minute? Something beautiful? Someone helpful? Maybe something unexpected? Sometimes just lifting our eyes and beholding our environment can help us live in this moment.

3 – Intentionally Think About Now

Maybe you’re like me and you find yourself thinking of the past or looking to the future. When this happens, I’ve been trying to reel my thoughts in to right now. I don’t want to miss what God has for me in this minute by having my thoughts behind me or ahead of me. God has this moment right now for us to live.

4 – Find The Good

When things go wrong, and they sometimes will, we might tend to focus on the bad and unpleasant (because, hello, that’s what’s right in front of us!). But what if we chose to find the good in the bad? Could God be protecting you from something? Is there a hidden lesson here somewhere? Could this be a blessing in disguise? This helps us live in and embrace the moment.

5 – Pass It On

Who can we encourage to live in the moment this very day? Can we share our smile? Send an encouraging note? Extend a helpful hand? Write a message to your child and put it in his/her school bag. Helping another live in the moment spurs us on to do the same.

Now it’s your turn. What do you do to live in the moment? What helps you appreciate the now? I’d love to read your thoughts and add them to this list!

Friend, as always, it’s a blessing to walk this journey of life with you. Praying you are living in the moment right now.

Much love,

Julie

 

 

 

Linking this post with Jennifer for #TellHisStory, Holley for Coffee For Your Heart, Kelly for #RaRaLinkup, Holly for #TestimonyTuesday and Crystal for #IntentionalTuesday.