How to Shift into this Moment

1. Only act when necessary: There are no accidents and no mistakes in the now. Know this, and know that everything you do comes from a deliberate place. This requires you to act in alignment with what is presented to you, taking careful consideration of what may be the full outcome of your action.
2. Focus on one activity at a time: Give what you’re doing all of your attention. Stay with it, acting with slow deliberation and do not sway until you have reached the desired result or ending. Avoid multi-tasking. This proves that you are not confused or muddled about what you’re doing and sends out a respectable message to all. It takes practice and you will form discipline.
3. Do not act on things that don’t concern you: Very little in this world is actually your business. So mind you do not get involved in anything that you cannot do anything about. This is not ignorance, it just means that you conserve your precious resources for the things that you can actually affect.
4. Create Spaces: Leave yourself adequate space between activities to recompose and come back to a place of stillness. This not only allows a rest for your busy mind to gather its intention, but allows you to appreciate the benefits of what you have just created from a point of reflection.
5. Spend more time being still: Decide to do nothing, think nothing. Do this in small pockets between heavy activity, sitting silently and becoming aware of your thoughts. Take note of what is happening around you and look at things from a passive observer state until you can just smile. It’s a healthy approach.
6. Don’t worry about the future: It will come. And when it does, you will be ready for it. Remaining in the present will allow you to truly enjoy it without any anxiety. Trust that whatever happens, you will always know exactly how to deal with it if you are with it.
7. Stay present when engaging: When you’re talking to someone, make sure that you give them your full attention. Do not become distracted by other activities or what you might say next. Listen. Compose your responses only after giving careful consideration to what they have told you. Speak with intent and watch every word that comes out of your mouth. Every word is your opportunity to speak with truthful intent. Say exactly what you mean and leave no room for misunderstandings. This will leave a restful feeling in both you and the other person that you have met the conversation with full presence.
8. Eat slowly, savouring your every bite of food: Life’s most important thing is what you eat. Understand that you are nourishing your body and the act of eating is a sacred ritual. Come to enjoy that by eating slowly and with deliberate aim to get the most out of your meal. You’ll not only eat less, but your digestion will be better too.
9. Live slowly, savouring every moment of your day: Just like your food, life itself is a celebration. Every little thing is worthy of your appreciation, so if you move too fast you stand to miss out on all the little things. Life is constantly nourishing you with little reminders that you are alive and in the right place, and if you are observant there are constant messages to inform and guide you to make better choices.
10. Turn your most mundane activities into a meditation: Shopping for ingredients, preparing your next meal, cleaning up and tending to your duties are perfect rituals for you to engage in the present moment with a sense of deliberate enjoyment. You are not doing anything that is unnecessary so value these activities as part of the daily dance with life. Appropriating them with all your loving attention shows that you respect their place and if you are entirely present in these you will become inspired to be much more creative in how you execute them. If you get frustrated, just pause, take a deep breath and ask yourself, how can i do this better.

Easy. Now if you get a little lost in all of this, go to the top of this list and repeat. Re-member, practice makes perfect when stepping into the now.

Blessings,

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