“The present moment is the only moment available to us,
and it is the door to all moments.”
~Thich Nhat Hanh
One of the teachers who is internationally renowned for his teachings about living in the present moment is Eckhart Tolle. His international bestseller, The Power of Now, has been translated into 33 languages and millions of copies have been sold. He tells us, “Realize deeply that the present moment is all you have. Make the Now the primary focus of your life.”
“If you are not living this moment, you are not really living.”
~Eckhart Tolle
It is in the present moment that you can see the sun rise and set while nature paints breathtaking colors across the sky. In the present moment, you can watch the ocean’s waves crashing on the shore and feel the cooling sand on your bare feet. In the present moment, you can watch a hummingbird sipping nectar and see birds in flight. In the present moment, you can inhale the intoxicating fragrance of a flower. In the present moment, you can hear a child’s laughter and be instantly, infectiously drawn into that laughter. In the present moment, you can be engaged in heart-centered, stimulating conversation with a friend…those conversations that you never want to end. In the moment you can feel the energizing satisfaction of a good workout and sweat dripping from your body.
“For the present is the point at which time touches eternity.”
~C. S. Lewis
When I am singing on stage, I feel more in the present moment than ever. I feel every second of that performance. Even now, after 10 years of performing on stage with My Silent Bravery—with hundreds of performances and experiencing the roller coaster of highs and lows and the feeling of being a little scared when I begin a performance, I am living in the moment and I breathe in every moment of that experience as a gift. I wrote the song “Dying to Feel Alive” to capture the exhilaration of feeling alive in our bodies, minds, and spirits…in the present moment.
For me, truly imbibing this wisdom of living moment to moment in present time came after a life-changing sporting accident while traveling in Australia. Pain has a way of bringing us into real-time at super speed and usually brings us messages that we need to hear. There is a beloved story in Kabbalah about an old man who always walked with a pebble in his shoe to put himself in some discomfort so that he would be reminded to be in the present moment. It has become very normal with all the distractions in our world to stay in our heads thinking about the past or future and rarely ever coming into the present moment. When we think about living our lives this way, it is very sad and unfortunate to spend our time on this earth plane in this way. The more we can continue to bring ourselves back to the present moment, the more alive we will be. Prayer, meditation, taking care of my body as a temple, exercise—these bring me into the present moment where I feel happy to be alive. I invite you to do whatever it is that makes you feel glad to be alive and bring yourself into the present moment again and again…where true adventure lies.
“If you are depressed, you are living in the past.
If you are anxious, you are living in the future.
If you are at peace, you are living in the present.”
~ Lao Tzu
Dying to Feel Alive
I cannot begin to try and hide this grin
It’s been so long since I have been this way, and felt like myself
Everything’s so new with the point of view
That half an empty glass of water can suddenly become half full
I’ve been dying to feel this alive
I cannot believe my eyes
I’m taking it all in stride
Though I’m dying everyday I’m alive
Just trying to get it right
I’m taking it all in stride
When sadness finds my mind, it does from time to time
Remind myself that’s just the way it goes, highs cannot be highs without the lows
I have been making sure I don’t forget to laugh
And I’m holding onto moments as they pass
And I’m trying not to worry about time
I should have just the right amount to live my life
—
—
If you believe in the work we are doing here at The Good Men Project, please join like-minded individuals in The Good Men Project Premium Community.
◊♦◊
◊♦◊
Get the best stories from The Good Men Project delivered straight to your inbox, here.
◊♦◊
◊♦◊
Sign up for our Writing Prompts email to receive writing inspiration in your inbox twice per week.
Title Photo: Pexels