Certainly there are benefits of being present. Being present will bring you more awareness, which, in turn, will bring you more happiness in certain situations. Being able to fully experience a wonderful moment, such as a wedding…sharing an intimate moment with someone…engaging in conversation, etc., will undoubtedly allow you to enjoy it that much more.
How many times do we rush through a meal and hardly taste it? There are days that we allow to just blow by us. I guarantee that you’ll enjoy food that much more if you take the time to appreciate it, or take time in the day to breathe and enjoy that moment, feel the gratitude of being able to do all the things you are accomplishing.
Let’s face it. We create a lot of our own anxiety and stress. We’re thinking about something that has already occurred, feeling resentful about it or feeling unable to let it go, thus creating stress about something that we cannot change.
All we can do is change the present. But if we’re in the past, the present is passing us by; most likely causing more anxiety and stress. Or we are thinking about the future; about something that “might” happen. We become fearful about it and play different tapes in our head searching for better results. I’ve found out (and I’m sure it’s true for most of us) that over 95% of the things I used to let my mind take me for a ride about, never even come to be.
There are times I don’t want to be present, such as in a dentist’s chair. Being present might not always be appropriate, so do use discretion.
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