What does it mean to live in the present moment?
The following quote by Thich Nhat Hanh clearly and simply describes what it means to live in the present, in the actual moment.
Live the Actual Moment – This Very Moment
“Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves – slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future; live the actual moment. Only this moment is life.”
What do Thich Nhat Hanh’s words mean?
He speaks about drinking tea, but his words can be applied to every other situation in life.
He speaks about acting slowly, with no hurry, as if your actions are the most important thing. This means acting with complete focus and awareness of what you are doing.
In this sentence, he speaks about patience, inner peace, attention, focus, and self-discipline. This is the way to live more consciously and fully and to find joy in whatever you do.
Acting in this way eliminates boredom and drudgery from every act because you are fully focused on what you are doing.
When you are fully focused on your work, you make fewer mistakes and work more efficiently.
You act while your attention is on the here and now. You don’t think of the past or the future but only of the now, in the present moment. With this state of mind, worries and fears have no space in your mind. You are more alive and happier.
Living in the present moment eliminates stray thoughts, worries, and anxieties, and brings you self-mastery and inner peace.
Focusing on what you are doing at the moment and living solely in this moment as if what you are doing is the most important thing in the world resembles meditation. It is a meditation that you can always practice wherever you are, at any time and place.
The Only Time that Exists Is the Present Moment
The only time that exists is now.
The past has gone, and you cannot live in it.
The future has not arrived yet.
Physically you can only live now, so why not live now, in the present moment, mentally and emotionally too? This eliminates wasted time, unpleasant emotions, and painful memories from the past.
Live the moment! Live the now!
If you strive to focus on the present and what you are doing now, you become happier and feel free and light.
A Few More Quotes from Thich Nhat Hanh
“Breathing in, I calm body and mind. Breathing out, I smile. Dwelling in the present moment, I know this is the only moment.”
“We will be more successful in all our endeavors if we can let go of the habit of running all the time and take little pauses to relax and re-center ourselves. And we’ll also have a lot more joy in living.”
“To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don’t need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself.”
“Waking up this morning, I smile. Twenty-four brand new hours are before me. I vow to live fully in each moment and to look at all beings with eyes of compassion.”
“It’s very important that we re-learn the art of resting and relaxing. Not only does it help prevent the onset of many illnesses that develop through chronic tension and worrying; it allows us to clear our minds, focus, and find creative solutions to problems.”
“Many of us have been running all our lives. Practice stopping.”
“To meditate means to go home to yourself. Then you know how to take care of the things that are happening inside you, and you know how to take care of the things that happen around you.”
