Do you know who you are? My guess is that you would like to think so. The correct answer is that you don't . No matter what you think you cannot really know yourself, I'll tell you why. It's because of the simple fact that in this life you will never truly know yourself due to the limited amount of time available to you. If we are intended to live forever knowing oneself is a day by day thing. So we only get a glimpse of who we truly are. Not to say your inner self, what makes you who you really are, is not there. It's just that we don't have enough time to be complete unless we live forever.
To live in the moment is what is difficult for most people, including myself. Sometimes the term ,"To be present" is used. An example is on some Fridays nights I drag myself to the meeting being dead tired and not really paying attention. I'm their but I'm not present. My focus is on other things such as sleep, food, or what I'm going to do tomorrow. These other things distract me from the moment and being present in it.
I catch myself on the trails sometimes. It usually happens when it's snowing out. I stop and take it in and there is where I see myself more clearly. There is no distractions in the woods. It's just me and nature and the goal is simple, just run. How can something so taxing and stressful on the body produce such peace in the moment? I think it's the fact that you are in the moment that peace comes. Your away from your worries for a little while. No desk, no mail and no phone.
I truly have a passion for running. It puts me in the moment. We all have plenty of passions and we know that they are passions when they take us to that moment. Becoming absorbed in whatever you are presently doing is no matter what it is is something we all need. Where time does not matter and the only thing that there is is the moment. Call it art call it passion call it living. The act of doing whatever it is your doing is it's own reward.
Sometimes pursuing your passions means finding excuses and reasons to get it done. These can include getting up earlier or setting aside 2 hours or so for your art. It can sometimes be selfish but sometimes you need to be selfish. Balance is always best but you passions will help bring out the best in your and help you with everything else in your life. So in that case they need to be high on your priority list of things to do. Nothing worth doing is easy and living a passion filled life is hard work and takes effort.
Not only practicing our passions is enough. Belief in ourselves and a belief that our passions bring out the best in us is also a good mental keystone habit to develop. For example I believe swimming makes me a better overall person and that makes me want to help others an be a good animal. In order to do it I get up at five in the morning and make my way to the pool. No matter how much or how little sleep I get if I have it in my mind that I will have a great swim, I will. So if you want to develop a passion you need to believe. Believe you are happy no matter what. Make being happy a habit and way of life.
To make things a habit we need to start with high hopes and a strong and decisive initiative. Do not permit excuses. This was something William James said. Never talk about what you are going to do. Just do it and talk after. That's not to say don't think about what you are doing. On the contrary I believe that if you focus intently on what you are doing you will be a happier person in general. The focus you develop from practicing becoming absorbed in something will be intensified when you practice and pursue your passions. You may even develop more passions as a result. So have passion and I'll try to develop it as well.
"Focus on the moment"
- Barton
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