Sunday, March 05, 2017

Living In The Present


 "We're too busy focusing on past and future that we tend to ignore the present and enjoy life." - Anonymous

The last time I posted something on my blog was in January and I am extremely sorry for not updating any post after that. I was super busy with my final exam and now I'm about to enter my second week of internship in Kapar. Last semester was hectic but Alhamdulillah, I managed to get a pretty good result. Overall, my internship life was okay but I hope I could do better in the following weeks.

Before I went to Kapar, I had to attend a classroom training in ILSAS for two weeks. The module were basically on leadership skills and technical stuffs (mostly for the electrical engineering students). At night, we usually spent our night on bed, doing nothing. My friend and I always ended up in a serious conversation about financial planning, marriage and etc (tbh, I feel so old when talking about all these stuffs), until one night something came up in our mind and we were thinking about how bored and unhappy our life is because we were too busy worrying about the future.

I believe we tend to spend most of our time replaying past moments or planning too much for the future, that we miss out on the great moments that are unveiling right before us. We don't take the time to enjoy the present moment. This is sad because we have no idea how many more moments we will be fortunate to experience. I am not proposing that we should spend less time planning, use all our savings and etc. That would be misguided advice. Goal setting is important for us to have the motivation to move forward and be better each day.  It's just that our random discussion we had with our peers were all about building the future but what about building the present? We all desire genuine happiness, and in order to manifest this joy, we have to live presently. Too much focus on the future often leads to stress and negative thinking - and these are not good for us.

"When I live in the past or future, I miss out on the freedom and peace in the now" 

So why we should living in the present?

1. Present moment is the only moment you have control over right now

No matter how much you plan you never know for sure how life is going to play out. The only time you will know is when you are in that moment. You can choose to enjoy the moment or you can choose to loathe the moment. You can choose to use the moment with something good or ignore the moment completely - cause in that present moment, it is yours to control. Planning may help you accomplish your goals but it will not help you to improve your quality of life for the present moment. Planning isn't going to guarantee you a desired outcome for the future, so why not accept what you can control now?

2. Each moment is a gift

There is no guarantee on the number of moments you will get to experience. Therefore, we should not take moments for granted. Plan when it is necessary not at the expense of you enjoying the present moment. Life is short, so enjoy it while you can.

3. Living in the present will make you happier

Too much of long term planning is going to prevent you from enjoying the beauty of now. Don't impede yourself from experiencing contentment. Practice living presently, and observe how it makes you feel. Plan when you need but don't lose sight of what is currently happening.

Find a balance between living in the moment and planning. You are only going to be able to control the moment you have right now. The moment you have right now is a gift. Enjoy less stress by relishing the moment. Accept present as it is and choose to be happy by doing stuffs you like to do. Plan as you feel necessary. Save money for a family and house. Invest in yourself. Set goals for yourself and as you live your life, make your dream a reality. In this pursuit of planning, don't forget about where you are in the present.

So how's your present moment doing?

Happy Sunday!

xx

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