If you look around, you will see some people living in the past. They will tell you how they enjoyed their childhood leading a happy and carefree life. As children they had everything – food, clothing, toys or whatever they fancied. When they become adults happiness eludes them. There are others who think that they will be happy in the future. They spend every minute to gather skills, qualifications and recognition without being happy. Such people do not pay any attention to the present moment.
Those who live in the past or the future are doing a great disservice to themselves. They do not understand that the value of the present moment which is the shortest message pithy enough to fit on a bumper sticker announcing “Be here now!” And how you get there – or rather here – is not hard as it seems. Teenagers are running a rat race preparing for examinations and trying to find well-paid jobs. They have no time to enjoy life. Those employed are no better. They are worried about their future prospects in the workplace and finding money to educate their children. In the midst of all such problems, they have no time to enjoy the present moment.
According to a Gallup Poll in the United States, half of the 1,011 people who were questioned said they did not have the time to do the things they wanted to perform. This was particularly true of those with children attending school and those who do full-time jobs.
The International Labour Organization (ILO) says Asians put in some of the longest weeks in the world. Full-time employees in Singapore used to work for 46 hours per week, compared with 46.7 hours in Hong Kong, 42.6 hours in the United States and 38.6 hours in France. Sometimes, people work for long hours by choice. They want to earn something extra in addition to their salaries. Some organisations face ‘presenteeism’ not ‘absenteeism.’ Even some employees who are not paid to work go back to workplaces to enjoy the company of others.
Suicidal pace
Renowned sociologist Arlie Hochschild of the University of California says, “Despite its aggravation, many people like being at work.” The reason is that they feel rewarded at work. They also feel more appreciated and competent. However, by spending long hours in the workplace, their family members begin to suffer. Usually housewives feel stressed. Yet, they do not complain because their husbands bring in more money than usual.
Psychologists who understand the gravity of the problem are trying to persuade people to appreciate the present moment to be happy. For instance, an alternative school in Tokyo, Japan encourages students to learn at a less suicidal pace than their peers. In Italy, there is a Slow Food Movement which encourages people to prepare and enjoy a meal made from locally grown vegetables. They are also encouraged to eat food rather than wolfing it down.
Another secret of happiness in living is to stay calm despite mounting problems. When you slow down, your blood pressure will not go up. When you eat, pay attention to what you are eating. Do not have your meals while watching television. If you wish to watch your favourite telefilm, do not engage in any other activity during that time. One simple way to anchor yourself in the present moment is to discover an activity that defies acceleration. One such activity is meditation.
Another is gardening or reading. Some people have other options such as bird-watching. If you live in an apartment, you will not be able to watch birds. They do not like to live in asphalt jungles. If you happen to live away from the city, you might pick up the hobby of strolling down village paths and enjoying the cool unpolluted breeze coming from the green fields. Such hobbies will restore your faith in life.
Another hobby you can pick up is breathing. The soothing effect of listening to your won breathing will remind you that you should be grateful to Mother Nature. According to Zen Buddhism, breathing is the foundation for meditation. When you breathe, you live in the present moment unlike living in the past or in the future. This is not a kind of denial where you pretend life does not have problems. For that matter, life is full of problems. However, you should stop worrying about them now.
Defining moments
The present moment will pass with the speed of lightning. Any given moment will last only three or four seconds. Despite its brevity, the present moment is unbelievably rich. Life is made up of such mini-turning moments. Sometimes, it takes a crisis to find out who you are or what you stand for or what you stand against. Such times of crisis are your defining moments. Grab them.
You can find your own defining moments. They are times when life tests you. If you get two equally good job offers, what will you accept? You will find it difficult to decide which offer is better than the other. If you are offered a plate of sandwiches, enjoy eating each sandwich. You cannot postpone eating them because they will be stale after some time.
Connecting to flashes of life as they fly by is something you can do. Sometimes, you forget to take your mobile phone on a holiday trip. Do not worry about it. You do not need a mobile phone to enjoy the serenity of nature. When you sit before a cascading waterfall, take in the beauty with your eyes. This is a precious moment in your life.
Most travellers take maps with them to find their way, but some of them do not worry about them. They believe in getting lost in a new environment. Unlike many people who plan everything before going on a trip, try something different. You should get lost in a city or village to find how it affects you. Getting lost in an unknown terrain will break your routine and veer off the beaten path.
If you wish to enjoy the present moment, let yourself wander. When you wander, you will begin to feel the importance of every moment. To enjoy every moment of your life, you have to turn off the part of your brain that is always worrying you about where you are going or what time it is. By enjoying the present moment, you will become more alert and resourceful than others who do not do so. Therefore, grab this moment before it flies away.
