Everyone goes through difficult times in their lives. But the key is to remember that you have the ability to go forward and begin living in the present, regardless of your prior experiences. Although this may take some time and work, you can use the below-mentioned live in the moment quotes to help you start living in the present moment and turn your life around right now!
Leave the past in the past
Are you living in the past?
Everyone goes through difficult times in their lives. Perhaps you had a difficult childhood or faced some challenges as an adult. The important thing to remember is that you have the ability to move forward and begin living in the present, regardless of your prior experiences.
Related Article: 20 powerful and inspirational quotes about life and struggles
Many people are the way they are and do the things they do because they falsely associate themselves with old traumas from their past.
However, it’s important to understand that YOU ARE NOT YOUR WOUNDS, TRAUMAS, OR PAST EXPERIENCES. Those events happened to you, but they do not have to define you.
Let me explain what I mean by this.
If, for example, you have a history of being bullied or brutalized. That is something that happened to you. You didn’t ask for it.
It was not your fault that it happened.
The key is to start afresh. Because the past never changes, the only thing you can do is let go and start again.
The Past does not define you!
Here is the thing you need to understand, your Past does not need to reflect your Future.
You might think that your past has value. And in some way, it has because it shaped you into the person you are today, but it does not need to define who you are or who you CAN become.
You need to recognize that:
- the past is the past.
- you are not your scars.
- your wounds happened to you. You did not cause them.
- your wounds don’t reveal anything about you other than the fact that you’re a survivor.
A lot of time, we tend to stick to our past, which leaves us feeling lost and stuck in our current situation. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Don’t use your past as a reason to hold yourself back. Whatever is keeping you stuck, now is the time to accept it and move on.
Understand that your past does not have to dictate your future. Let it go!
I’m not saying this to minimize anything that has happened to you; whatever it was, I’m sorry you had to go through it.
But, as they say, life must go on. You are under no obligation to follow through.
The Past and Future are an Illusion
So, I recently started an online course on Udemy solely for the purpose of expanding my knowledge. And the tutor made an interesting observation:
There are two times that do not exist: The Past and The Future.
Which, when you think about it, makes perfect sense. Let’s delve a little deeper into it.
- The Past
People who are stuck in the past believe that the past has power in the present. But the past does not exist in the present moment. Now it’s just a memory.
The past events that happened to you are just a story in your head (a memory) about something that occurred in the past. It existed then but now it doesn’t exist except as a memory in your head.
- The Future
In the same way, we can indeed imagine our future. We can create a story in our head of what our future could be like or not be. We can worry about what might happen, and even have anxiety over our predictions.
But the truth is that the future is not promised to anyone. It’s just a story in our head – our imagination. The future does not exist in the present moment.
Hence, both the past and the future are an illusion, and you need to let them go. And I’m going to explain why that is.
Here’s why:
What you’re doing is grabbing things from the past and imagining things from the future, directing them at your present, and ruining your life in the process. You’re simply living in your head rather than in the present moment (which is the only time that truly exists.)
Your brain can do so because it has a mental process that you are supposed to use for good. This, on the other hand, is exploiting it.
What should you be doing Instead?
- looking into the past to find beautiful moments that can make you happy just by thinking about them and reliving them in the present
- and think back to times when you didn’t perform as well as you should have and learn from them.
Hence, you should use your past to relive beautiful memories and learn from past mistakes to improve your current and future situations. As a result, your past and future should only serve as a point of reference and guidance.
7 ways to inspire your desire to live in the moment
Now that we know how important it is to live in the present moment rather than the past or future, we must figure out how to live in the moment.
Try these suggestions to inspire your desire to stay in the moment:
#1 Accept the past as it is
Whatever problem have you trapped, now is the moment to find a solution.
As we mentioned earlier, the past cannot be changed. The event has already occurred. So, the only thing that you can do is accept it and move on.
#2 Recognize that your past does not affect who you are today.
“It made me who I am,” we’ve all heard people say this after a traumatic experience. That’s great if your past has shaped you into a better person and helped you move on with your life. But if it has made you feel lost and stuck, remember that your circumstances do not have to define you.
You have the ability to create your own reality. From now on, you can be whoever you choose to be.
It all comes down to this:
You can choose to be a victim your entire life. Or you can learn from it, get stronger, and live your life as a SURVIVOR! It’s all about how you want to perceive the situation!
#3 Let go.
Allow your feelings and thoughts about the situation to drift away.
You can let it go. Gradually allow your thoughts and emotions about the situation to drift away.
It’s all about perception.
Tip: Consider imagining a giant black balloon filled with the troubling occurrence. Allow the circumstance and your emotions to drift away from your world.
#4 Examine your life in great depth.
Do you live where you wish to live? Is the work you’re doing what you want it to be? Perhaps you’ve had enough of wishing, hoping, and searching. If this is the case, change what isn’t serving you now.
Remember, you can be whomever you choose.
On the other hand, perhaps when you examine your life, you will discover that you already have all of the aspects of a great life. Learn to appreciate what you have. Appreciating what we have allows us to be more present in the moment.
#5 Begin creating the life you desire right now.
If you already have what you desire, that’s amazing! There will be less work for you to do. If you’re not sure, keep reading.
We’ve all heard the story of someone saving their fine china for special occasions. Years went by, and the china remained in the cupboard, and guess what happened? The china was never put to use. There was never a time when an occasion was deemed “special” enough.
Do you have the same attitude about your life? Are you awaiting the arrival of the future to live in the place of your dreams, achieve your desired goals, and do the things you want? There’s no better time than now to start living your dream life.
#6 Allow yourself to be fully immersed in each moment.
Spend your moments totally involved in whatever you’re doing right now, regardless of the list of things you have to do. You’ve probably felt the frustration and annoyance of being engaged in one activity while thinking about another task or activity that needs to be completed.
Make an extra effort to concentrate on whatever is going on at the moment. When watching a movie, pay close attention to the plot, scenes, and characters. If you’re working on a project for work, block out all distractions and give it your all.
#7 Make a conscious effort to connect with your emotions.
Examine your emotions. Are you feeling energetic? Is your mood gloomy? What are your thoughts on what you’re doing right now?
Increase your awareness of your own emotions as you move from task to task throughout the day. Living in the present moment entails living consciously.
15 live in the moment quotes
Below are 15 live in the moment quotes to help you start living in the present moment and turn your life around right now!
- “Living in the moment means letting go of the past and not waiting for the future. It means living your life consciously, aware that each moment you breathe is a gift.” – Oprah
- “The past is never there when you try to go back. It exists, but only in memory. To pretend otherwise is to invite a mess.” – Chris Cobbs
- “The ability to be in the present moment is a major component of mental wellness.” – Abraham Maslow
- Most humans are never fully present in the now, because unconsciously they believe that the next moment must be more important than this one. But then you miss your whole life, which is never not now.” – Eckhart Tolle
- He said, “There are only two days in the year that nothing can be done. One is called yesterday and the other is called tomorrow, so today is the right day to love, believe, do and mostly live.” – Dalai Lama
- “Mindfulness is living in the moment without judging it.” – Debasish Mridha
- “Be where you are; otherwise you will miss your life.” – Buddha
- “Living in the present moment creates the experience of eternity.” – Deepak Chopra
- “Be present in all things and thankful for all things.” – Maya Angelou
- “We’re so busy watching out for what’s just ahead of us that we don’t take time to enjoy where we are.” – Bill Watterson
- “The only way to survive eternity is to be able to appreciate each moment.” – Lauren Kate
- “If you want to conquer the anxiety of life, live in the moment, live in the breath.” – Amit Ray
- “Now is the only time we have, and the only time we have any control over.” – Richard Carlson
- “The here and now is all we have, and if we play it right it’s all we’ll need.” – Ann Richards
- “Live today. Not yesterday. Not tomorrow. Just today. Inhabit your moments. Don’t rent them out to tomorrow.” – Jerry Spinelli
When you feel consumed by the past or the future, read through these live in the moment quotes to help you re-center yourself in the present moment.
Final thoughts
To summarize, the most important thing to understand is that you will appreciate your life more if you live in the present moment. So be present in your body, mind, and soul wherever you are and whatever you are doing.
When you give yourself permission to feel whichever way you choose about an event, task, or situation, you’re telling yourself that you deserve the time to live your life to the fullest. Likewise, learning to live in the now will give you the freedom to live the life you want.
Despite this, please remember that this is a continuous process. Don’t give up if sometimes you’re back in your head wondering about your past and likewise worrying about your future.
If that happens, don’t worry, you can use the above-mentioned seven tips and live in the moment quotes to help you re-connect to the present moment.
You have the power to define your own existence. From now on, you can be whomever you choose.
Live in the moment and start creating the life you want right now!
Read more: How To Find Your Way When You’re Feeling Lost In Life
