I’ve had a lot on my mind lately. Mostly I’ve been thinking about what it means to truly live in the moment, because I think so many people have trouble with this concept.

To start off, I have a question to ask you.

Have you ever predicted the way a moment in time was going to pan out before it had even taken place?

I have, and by doing this you are ensuring that you will never grow or evolve as a person. Harsh? Maybe, but it’s the truth. Let me give you an example.

Lately I have been feeling tired all of the time. Maybe this is because I haven’t been getting enough sleep, or because of how hard I have been working myself, but regardless I have found myself struggling to stay awake in the classes that I love. This does not occur because I’m not interested in what’s being taught. Here’s what happens: I will be sitting in class all hunky dory (yes, I just used this expression), when all of a sudden I will be overcome by this bizarre exhaustion. As I feel it coming on, I will desperately try and stimulate my body and senses through gentle massages on my palms and calves, or by drinking water every 20 seconds. Now this sudden onset of exhaustion is not something that’s new to me. The same feeling overcomes me when I’m reading a book (even if I’m really enjoying it), and the episodes also occurred throughout my undergraduate degree. It’s embarrassing, because having drooping eyes completely contradicts what I believe about myself (that I’m a hard-working and dedicated individual). When these episodes occur, I invariably leave class feeling insecure and ashamed, and ultimately in a little bit of a bad mood.

So, a couple of weeks ago I caught my mind doing something rather crafty. I had just completed my morning routine (exercised, showered, got dressed, ate breakfast, and packed a lunch), and was waiting for the elevator to come up to my floor. I was feeling very alert and awake as I left my apartment, and slung my bag over my shoulder. Then, as I stood waiting I began to think about the warm rooms and the plastic chairs at my school. As I did this, I immediately felt overcome by that same exhaustion. I was predicting how I was going to feel before I was even there. When this happened, I had to step back for a moment and gawk at what I had just observed. I alone was deciding that I was going to be tired in class – it’s all me. As I stood waiting, I had subconsciously started thinking about experiences in the past where I had been tired during class, and projected that same experience on to my future. I was creating a self-destructive pattern in my life. As I’ve thought more about it, I’ve come to the conclusion that these episodes of exhaustion are a result of my mind trying to sabotage myself because of my fear of success (did I mention that I most often become consumed by these episodes when it’s most important that I stay alert – like when we have a notable guest speaker). In instances where I don’t feel tired during class, I often find myself consciously acknowledging that fact, worrying and stressing that it’s going to hit me (remember, worry is all about the future. We never worry about the present), and hoping that it won’t. That’s a lot of energy being expelled towards thoughts and worries that are completely unrelated to my growth. Wasted energy is what it is. So, I’ve come to the conclusion that in order to rid myself of these episodes, I need to stop thinking about them. I need to write these episodes out of my identity, and stop focusing my energy on them (we’ve heard it again and again – focus on what you do want, and not on what you don’t want).

To round this back up to what I said at the beginning of this post:  by predicting your future you are eliminating the possibility that something new/exciting might occur. Predictions are based on past experiences, but the future should be filled with new and exciting possibilities. Life does not have to be routine. You don’t have to experience the same thing day after day.

Try leaving your past experiences behind you, and live in the present moment. Feel what you are feeling right now without judgment. I honestly believe that living in the present has the ability to solve so many problems – but maybe that’s something I’ll get into on a later post.

So, what does all of this have to do with making deposits into the emotional bank accounts of others? Well, by living in the present and leaving past judgments and experiences behind you, you will be able to interact with others in a more meaningful way. When you are engrossed in a conversation, you won’t be thinking about what you are going to say next, but only enjoying and appreciating what they are imparting to you. Living in the moment allows you to get out of your head, and finally enjoy the miracle that is life. The best part: it can be so easy and effortless if you allow it to be that way.