Life in the Present Moment – Choosing Joy

There was a time in my life where I lived completely in my past. Every day I contemplated little failures, unfulfilled wishes and the pain I couldn’t push past. Other days were spent dwelling on my future happiness. I often questioned when I would reach my ultimate state of joy. . . . . Then one day, I stumbled across Eckhart Tolle’s book The Power of Now. I thank God for guiding me to this because it has seriously transformed my life.

I don’t know if I would be able to process the pain of losing Audrina without this knowledge. It’s a constant reminder to live in the present moment and allow gratitude and grace fill my heart. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in the day to day functions and lose site on what really matters. Back then, I never knew I was in control of my brain. I didn’t know that I had the power to make a conscious decision to choose happiness. In fact, I was so consumed by painful thoughts that my brain was almost addicted to it. At first, it was hard to reprogram my negative thoughts into positive ones, but I did it by focusing on what little joy I did have.

I’ll never forget the feeling that came over me when I learned that Joy could only be experienced in the moment. It was pure enlightenment. I felt elated to know the true power of the moment. . . . .right here, right now. You can’t physically go back into your past and you can’t control the future. You can only make a choice in the present moment. That’s the power of now. If you want to feel more Joy, start by thinking about all the things your thankful for.

It’s a good reminder not to take life for granted either. The here and now is a gift and we shouldn’t have expectations for our future. If I spent my entire life believing I would reach my ultimate future happiness when I achieve A,B and C. . . . . . I would reach my destination unfulfilled.

Life will be full of disappointments. Trust me, I’ve been dealt my fair share. It would be so easy to focus on my pain but I choose grace and gratitude. If I keep trusting God and his plans then I don’t need to worry about how my life unfolds. All I can do is focus on this present moment and fill my heart with joy and gratitude for the things I do have.

Lastly, don’t confuse the ego’s needs and desires for false joy. The ego will always crave money, power or pride in hopes of seeking approval from others. True joy comes from loving something so passionately that it makes your heart sing. It should excite and inspire you at your core then awaken the God like qualities within you. If you want to feel JOY, start by counting your blessings. If you want to feel LOVED, start by loving others. If you want to feel PASSION, start by doing what sets your heart on fire.