Present-Moment Awareness: How To Get It and Why You Need It by John Cali

Being fully present in each moment of your lives is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself, and others. Your presence is truly a gift.

We realize your modern world can be a very distracting place. All the more reason to practice presence — full presence in every moment of your waking awareness. Obviously you are physically present in all your waking and sleeping moments. But how often is your mind, your focus off somewhere else?

All you really have is the present moment. All of what you call past and future, all of your life, all of your reality are contained in the present moment. And only in the present moment. So you might as well be there — fully, consciously, deliberately.

You owe it to yourself to be here now, in every moment. You owe it to your loved ones.

You will find yourself more relaxed and at peace in more and more of your waking moments. You will be happier and healthier. And, odd as it may sound, you will find linear time becoming more expansive. You will accomplish more in less time.

Those are only a few of the many benefits and blessings you will gain from such a simple thing as being fully present. Be fully present in the moment — every moment.

Adapted from Spirit Oracle Cards

Related links:
Be Here Now
Past, Present, or Future?

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Do you have a hard time staying in the present moment? What can you do to remain in the moment more often? Please share your thoughts and comments with us below.

We welcome your comments and thoughtful opinions, whether you agree or disagree with us. Please keep your comments polite and relevant to the topic of this post. If needed, we’ll edit for clarity. Also, we’ll delete anything we consider inappropriate.

10 Responses

  1. Chuck

    many times when i do an intense workout feel like time has just jumped. I do this workout for an hour. Before i got into spirituality many times i would feel the pain in the sense. 5 mins seems eternity and once a while feel like quitting. etc.
    But since a year after knowing about source energy etc. I just leave things to the Source and not have judgements about working out etc like before i would do to look good, or have an edge over someone or have some other judgements about myself if i did not feel good. Not i dont do that. And somehow my 1 hr goes so quickly. i also almost feel like i have out of body experience. In the sense i did all this intense workout and somehow its like i never felt the pain of it. I do enjoy the workout more but its still intense.
    I love that feeling when suddenly 1 hr is over and i am done almost effortlessly and getting the benefits of it.
    So as John said i seem to get more done and i am more consistent.

  2. Toni

    John, I guess I’m a little dense today. By being “present,” do you mean just concentrating on what I’m doing at the time? For instance, if I’m doing a painting, just immerse myself in the painting? Or if I’m cooking, immerse myself in the recipe? I should do these things without thinking of anything else but painting or cooking. Correct?

    Love you, John.

    Toni

    • John Cali

      That’s pretty much it, Toni, as I see it. I’ve talked to folks who disgree with us on that — they say it’s too much trouble.

      I admit it was a struggle for me to get to the point, many years ago, where I could be fully focused on only the present moment — and what I was doing in that moment. Or, in the case of meditation, what I was NOT doing in that moment. 🙂 I’m not perfect yet, but I’m much better at it now.

      And, as strange as it may seem, when I stay in the moment, I get a lot more “done” than I normally can in a similar amount of time. Linear time seems to expand.

      Finally, I feel much more inner peace when I stay in the moment. That alone makes it worth the effort.

      Lots of love & hugs to you, Toni.

  3. Micki

    I must admit I try to stay in the present moment and do when, like Pedro, am close to Nature and that is where I go to just be…but life does present its moments where you have to think about tomorrow, and what is happening with your friends and loved ones, which does distract you from your present- moment awareness. I feel though, as you get older in this lifetime, it does get easier just to be in the moment and relish that wonderful awareness.

    Love and hugs to you John have a great weekend.
    Micki

    • John Cali

      Thanks very much, Micki. I agree — it does get easier as you get older.

      Love & hugs to you too, and have a great weekend!

      John

  4. Pedro

    I try to remain in the present moment by being aware of the physical sensations in my body, it also helps me to breathe consciously
    but for me it’s best to be close to nature. then I do not know if I’m present, but I feel the beauty that surrounds me and fills me with gratitude and love.

    Thank You

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