How to find happiness now.
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Since ancient times, spiritual masters have pointed out that the ease, joy and vibrancy of life is obscured by our thoughts of the past or future.
Perhaps certain things in the past didn’t go the way we wanted them to go and we feel anger, sadness or guilt. Maybe we imagine things in the future not going the way you want them to go and we feel fear, anxiety or stress.
Wellbeing specialists and spiritual teachers point towards the “Now” as the key to true happiness and a stress-free life, because the present moment is all we ever have! There was never a time when your life was not Now, nor will there ever be. Let’s test that…
Have you ever done or experienced something in the future? No, because when it happens, it will happen “Now”.
Is it possible for something to happen in the past? No, although we can recall a time when it happened “Now”.
“Past and future obviously have no reality of their own. Just as the moon has no light of its own, but can only reflect the light of the sun, so are past and future only pale reflections of the light, power, and reality of the eternal present. Their reality is “borrowed” from the Now.”
Attachment to the past and future is necessary in our lives, however it can create resistance to and draw focus from the Now.
The past is really important because it holds experiences that we can learn from and shapes who we are today. However, there is a line that gets crossed when we focus a disproportionate amount of time dwelling on negative emotions linked to past experiences instead of enjoying right now.
The future is also very important for practical matters and the achievement of goals (E.g. the school run or delivery of a project milestone). However, thinking about the future beyond what is practically useful will go one of 2 ways…
Expecting the future to be worse than now (E.g. failing at something or losing something of value in the future) will create a sense of anxiety and suppress your ability to take positive action right now.
Expecting the future to be better than now (E.g. having more time, money or happiness at some point in the future) will keep you focused on the future instead of appreciating what you can be, do and have right now.
If you agree that Now is all we ever have, then happiness and success are already here!
How would your effectiveness be improved by being more present?
What self-criticism do you subject yourself to?
What impact is it having on your choices today?
How are negative emotions impacting you right now?
What can be learned from them?
What would be different if you let go of them?