The present

George Chingarande | Monday April 14, 2014 14:10

She could not just figure out what the best gift to get herself was. She then canvassed around for ideas from friends and fellow colleagues. When she came to me, after giving her question careful thought I told her that I believe that the best gift or present one can give to oneself is the present. And there is no better way to describe this gift than to use the words of Eckhart Tolle who says, “The present is a gift you give to yourself. It teaches you to only focus on the task at hand. To find the present think of the times when you were happy and more effective and feeling more successful. When you are fully engaged in what you are doing, your mind doesn’t wander. You enjoy life. And you are happier and more effective. You are intent only on what is happening at that moment. And that focus and concentration leads to your success. You stop worrying about the future or the past. Always appreciate where you are and what you are doing and enjoy being in the present. The present is not the past and it is not the future. The present is the present moment. The present is now.

Be aware of the many things that have been right all along and those that you have not seen or felt before. This helps you not to feel like a failure. Being in the present means focusing on what is happening right now. It means appreciating the gifts you are offered each day. Focus on where you are and what you are doing right then and there and you will think of nothing else.

The gift you give yourself is the present moment and the present means focusing on what is right now. Even in the most difficult times or situations. When you focus on what is right in the present moment, it makes you happier today. And it gives you the needed energy and confidence to deal with what is wrong. So focus on what is right, now. When you are in a bad situation don’t focus on what is wrong for that will get you down and discouraged. Many situations are a mix of good and bad, right and wrong. It depends on how you look at them. The more you focus on what is right, the more effective and successful you will become today.

The more you look at what is wrong, the less energy and confidence you will have. It is important that when you find yourself in a bad situation look at what is right even if it is hard to find .Then appreciate and build on it. The more you appreciate what is right at the moment, the happier you will become and relaxed. It is easier to stay in the present and enjoy it. Being in the present means tuning out distractions and paying attention to what is important, now. You create your own present by what you give your attention to today.

In a relationship, you need to focus on the whole person and by being more aware of their good and bad qualities; you can address the potential problems instead of being side-tracked by them.

Focus on what is happening at the moment. Appreciate what is right about the situation and build on it. Pay attention to what is important Now. Never ignore your relationship problems, address them. It is hard to let go of the past if you have not learned from the past. As soon as you learn and let go you improve the present today. Many people avoid looking at the past because they do not want to be troubled by it. They do not ask themselves where they would be today if they had not looked at their past experiences and learnt from the things that did not go well. In those areas, their present is just like their past. When you don’t use your feelings about the past to learn from your experiences, you lose the joy of the present. Once you have truly learned from the past, it is easier to enjoy the present. It is important to use the past to learn from your mistakes.

Anytime you are unhappy in the present and want to enjoy the present more, It is time for you to learn from the past or to help create the future. Two of the things that can rob you of the joy of the present include your negative thoughts about the past and your negative thoughts about the future. Anytime you feel something interfering with your enjoying the present and doing well, that is the time to look at the past and learn from it. The time to learn is anytime you feel you want to make the present better than the past and enjoy the present more. Ask yourself three questions and answer them honestly:

hat happened in the past?

What did I learn from it?

What can I do differently now?

The more you learn from the past the fewer mistakes you will make.

Look at how you feel about what happened in the past. Learn something valuable from it. Use what you have learned to make your life more enjoyable today. You cannot change the past, but you can learn from it. When the same situation arises you can do things differently and become happier and more successful today. Always think and act positively even when the odds seem to be against you. Remember that nothing stays the same. That too will soon pass way.” That according to Eckhart Tolle is the present, and I fully believe that the practice of being fully present and fully engaged all the time is a very important habit that we all ought to learn. The walking dead, the sleep walkers and the walking absent minded are of little value to anyone.