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What does being in the present moment mean?

I’ve asked myself this question many times. Sometimes I feel that I’m only really present when I’m meditating, cooking, or doing something that slows down my racing thoughts.

The truth is I’ve always thought that being in the present moment is about being thoroughly dedicated to the “now” without being stuck in neither the past nor the future. At least that’s what we hear most times—a mind that keeps wandering between what was and what will be is a weak mind.

And so I’ve tried to eradicate any thoughts that aren’t related to this present moment. But that hasn’t always been possible. Eckhart Tolle says, “Just as the dog loves to chew bones, the human mind loves its problems.” And my mind, like any other mind, loves its problems because, well, that’s what minds do.

Just like the function of the heart is to pump blood and oxygen around the body, the function of the mind is to think and analyze. So no matter how hard we try to suppress our thoughts just for the sake of being in the present moment, we will most probably fail.

I don’t think it’s the past or the future that makes us miserable. Reflecting on them has (occasionally) ameliorated my present moment in many ways. Learning from the past has prevented me from repeating some mistakes that could have been catastrophic, and imagining the future has strengthened my goals and purpose.

What makes us miserable is how we think of the past and the future.

They become a problem when they’re tainted by worry, confusion, mourning, or discomfort; that’s exactly how they ruin our present. When we sit in meditation, we observe our thoughts and choose the ones that are helpful. We can do the same every day, every minute, and notice any unhelpful thoughts that come into our minds.

Like the trees that discard their leaves when there’s no use for them anymore, we should learn how to discard our thoughts when they become harmful and useless. Then we can jump into our present moment with courage and determination.

What does it mean to be in the present moment? It means we anchor ourselves—here and now—without any mental judgement or evaluation. We resist the urge to change how things are in this moment and immerse ourselves completely in what’s happening—even if it’s unpleasant.

If or when we oscillate between the past and the future, we do so gently, without making unnecessary stops or thinking that the past is more enjoyable.

“When we sit in meditation and hear a sound, we think, ‘Oh, that sound’s bothering me.’ If we see it like this, we suffer. But if we investigate a little deeper, we see that the sound is simply sound. If we understand like this, then there’s nothing more to it. We leave it be. The sound is just sound, why should you go and grab it? You see that actually it was you who went out and disturbed the sound.” ~ Ajahn Chah

It’s not enough to notice our surroundings to be in the present moment; we must also be okay with what’s happening in them. Be it a sound, a voice, a behavior, a person, a thought, a memory, or a feeling, we must know how to let everything come and go and genuinely enjoy what life has in store for us.

Our present moment might not always be pleasant. We often get caught up in stressful situations and wish things were different—which makes living in the moment difficult. But with practice and willingness, we can become more attuned to the present and improve our ability to accept what is without mental or emotional interference.

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