Living in the Present Moment
by Rev. Marcy Ellen
Living in the present moment or living in the now is the act of being fully connected or plugged into the universe. When we are connected in the present moment we possess unlimited potential to not only enjoy our experiences to the fullest but also to wholly engage with other people, activities, and most importantly the lessons that are laid out before us. Being connected and present brings a greater sense of focus and awareness by improving our faculties, abilities, and our talents. When we are connected in the present moment anything is possible. When we are not living in the present moment and by this I mean when our minds are preoccupied by thoughts of worry, regret, or anything that pertains to the past or future, then we create a massive disconnect between ourselves and our environment.
Let’s use a video game for an example. Imagine playing a video game. Let’s just say the game is Super Mario Brothers. When you have the game system or console set up properly the connection between the controller and the game console is imperative. If you are playing a game and everything is connected properly, you will have total control of Mario. You can make him run, jump, swim, and avoid all kinds of dangers. Your connection enables you to control certain variables in the video game so that you can proactively learn how to master the different levels of the game. Your connection is what makes the game interactive. By being interactive you can actually get some kind of pleasure from playing the game. This connection is similar to living in the present moment.
Now imagine if while you were playing the video game someone tripped over the cord and the controller became disconnected from the game console. The game would go on but you would no longer have any connection to Mario. Mario would then be forced to stand in one place completely defenseless while all the lessons and pitfalls of the game environment continued as usual. First of all Mario wouldn’t last but a few minutes without being able to proactively maneuver throughout his environment, but secondly a game that you are not in control of is no longer an interactive game and I think most people would agree that it is the ability to interact that makes the game fun in the first place. The entire point of playing a video game is to be interactive, and you can’t be interactive if the controller is disconnected.
The same goes for us living in the physical world. In order for us to be fully interactive in our environment, we must be connected. It is our connection to our environment that enables us to maneuver through life more safely, master the lessons laid out before us more quickly, and advance to new levels of awareness and understanding. When we are living in the present moment, when we are fully aware of our surroundings and are being interactive with our environment, we are using our bodies and minds to their fullest capacities. We are utilizing our Divine connection to the most powerful energy field in the universe. We are plugged in, so to speak. It is from this place that all things become promising. Living in the present gives us the ability to accomplish greatness.
When a talented and celebrated baseball player gets up to bat, he doesn’t think about the game he played yesterday or the game he will play tomorrow. He doesn’t think about his personal problems or things that he has to do when he gets home. He empties his mind completely and connects to the task at hand. His awareness expands to include every sight and every sound that has anything to do with him successfully accomplishing his goal of hitting the ball. The same goes for any sport or art for that matter. The best actors are the ones who have the ability to wholeheartedly live out their roles by being totally present in every moment of every scene.
Clearing our minds can be tough at times but being aware of our connection or our disconnection can help us to become more present. Whenever we find our minds wandering to future worries, past regrets, or even just trivial things, we need to stop and say to ourselves, “Okay, someone just tripped over my cord and disconnected me.” Then we just need to take a minute to plug the cord back in, get reconnected, and get back in the game. The more disciplined we become about plugging our cords back in the less we will actually need to do so. Living consciously in the now is where true freedom is. Eventually there will come a time when this freedom will come naturally but for now we need to use these waking glimpses to continue guiding us back into this place of peace.
Click HERE to Connect with your Daily Horoscope!
About the Author
Rev. Marcy Ellen is the author of The Soul Truth; Reflections of the Waking Soul and the Media Director for Simple Love Advice. She is a spiritual teacher, writer, life coach, speaker, and radio host with a Master of Divinity Degree from The University of Metaphysical Sciences. www.simpleloveadvice.com
