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I often find myself living for the weekend. What kind of life is it if I’m only living 2-3 day out of the week?

OR

Some days I’m living for bed time! So, living for 2-3 hours of alone time?

OR

I catch myself saying

I’ll be happy when [_______] Insert any of the following:

I buy a house
I’m skinnier
I travel to Europe
I’m dead
I no longer have kids in diapers

BUT

Why would I be happy then, if I’m not happy now?

I’ll still have trials and struggles, life will still have its challenges, my kids will still drive me crazy (or so I’m told).

Have you ever really wanted something, and then when you got it you were like “this is it!?”

Or

Do you ever look back on life and think, “I wish I would have enjoyed life more then”? (Especially because life seems to only be getting harder). Or thought “I wish I would have taken advantage of this, this, or this opportunity”?

Happiness in life doesn’t come as an end result, it comes in the journey.

“The joy is in the journey”

I know I’ve used this quote before, but it’s so true.

“Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he has been robbed.

Most putts don’t drop. Most beef is tough. Most children grow up to be just people. Most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration. Most jobs are more often dull than otherwise. …

Life is like an old-time rail journey—delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed.

The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride.”

-Gordon B. Hinckley

a.k.a

Life will always be hard, so you have to learn to find the joys along the way.

I’ve been thinking about this lately as I have caught myself going through the motions of life instead of enjoying the moments. It’s hard. And when life gets hard it can be harder.

BUT

If we work at it and create habits in our minds and in our lives, we can learn to live in the moment!

So, How?

11 Ways to be Fully Present in Today

1. Look at life as an Opportunity

Sometimes I curse the day for being a “bad day” before its even over. It’s 11:00 am and I have written off the rest of the day as a bad day. I woke up in a bad mood, or I hated how something went wrong, and therefore the rest of the day can’t possibly get any better. Why do I think this way? I don’t know.

One day I got frustrated about something that happened at 8:00, I didn’t get over it until 3:00 pm and when I did, I thought, I have wasted 6 hours of my day being mad when I could have done something productive. Because, I don’t know about you, but when I’m mad nothing gets done expect maybe the dishes!

Wake up each day looking for opportunity. Looking at it like a clean slate, a brand new day to create memories and opportunity. Anything could happen! And when something does go wrong, look at the opportunity it created for you instead of the frustrations! Everything happens for a reason, and when you start looking at life that way, it becomes opportunities! 

2. Acceptance

Accept who you are. Love yourself for who you are. Accept where you are in life, what life has given you, and even the mistakes you’ve made along the way. Just because you have a future dream, or you want to be skinnier, richer, or more educated, or you wish you had this or that, doesn’t mean you have to hate what IS NOW! Don’t hate the person you are now for the person you wish you were. If you don’t, you’ll always be chasing the future. Accept things as they are, especially yourself.

3. Do the things that make you happy

Do the little things that make you happy, everyday! These don’t have to be big things, just little things. I love to laugh. Sometimes if I’m having a bad day, I look up some of my favorite videos or memes. Or, even if I just want a good laugh. Don’t wait for things to happen for you, make the little things happen. I’m not saying to feed your addiction of McDonald’s french fries everyday, but make a list of all the things you enjoy, big and small, and refer to it when you are in need a pick me up. Or just because. Because life is supposed to be joyful. 

4. Laugh

Speaking of laughing. Laugh everyday. It does wonders for your health. Don’t take life or yourself so serious. Learn to laugh at yourself and situations. Be lighthearted and fun. Find time to laugh, don’t worry about laugh wrinkles.

5. Mindful Activities

Be aware of life. Don’t just go through the motions. Know who’s around you, who needs help or a friend, how you can influence others, how you can improve your life, create time for you, or love more. Do mindful activities that help you become self aware like journaling, meditating, being grateful, pray, or sit in silence for a few minutes everyday. Really take in moments and memories. Recognize that you’re “living” when you’re in a moment that you love. And be grateful for it!

6. Serve Others

Find time to serve those around you. Get lost in someone else’s life instead of your own. Don’t look back on life and wonder if you were ever there to help others. Don’t get so busy that you don’t have time to help others. Life is something we all have to go through together, whether we like it or not. So, be kind, forgive, and make time to serve. It will only enrich your life! 

7. Let Go

Let go of everything! Let go of people who have wronged you. Forgive. Let go of mistakes you’ve made. Don’t beat yourself up. Let go of the past. Don’t live in the past. Be present in today. Deal with the challenges of today. Declutter. Get rid of things you don’t need like things, clothes, or even people. Life is too short to hold on to things that bog you down. Especially the negative! PURGE it from your life. 

8. State of Mind

Litterally, put your mind in the present. Work on your thoughts and create a positive mindset. Let go of the negative thoughts and negative influences in your life. Don’t let your mind wonder in the past wishing for “coulda, shoulda, would have beens”. Don’t wish for something so much in the future that you forget to live today. Put your mind here in today.

9. Don’t Be so Busy being busy

We live in a super busy world. Don’t get caught up in all the “havtas“. Prioritize your life and really omit the things that you don’t havta do! Stop watching the clock. Pick a day where you’re just not on a schedule, but living the moment, spending time with family, serving others, or taking some me time. When our lives are so busy that we don’t have time to stop and smell the roses, we aren’t really enjoying it.

10. Be okay with change

We are in an ever changing world and we all live constantly changing lives. Don’t be so set in your ways that you can’t move on or adjust to change. I know its a HUGE struggle for me. But just try to look at each change as a new opportunity, a chance to grow, and a time to learn new things. Live more freely.

11. Finding the balance

The biggest way to live in the present is to find the balance between not dwelling in the past and not living for only what might happen in the future. Realize you’ve made it this far, be happy with where you are now, learn from who you were and look forward to new memories, adventures, and a new person to become. Be Hopeful, not wishful.

“Life is what happens while you’re busy making other plans”

-John Lennon