Accept the Past, Respect the Future, And…

Live in the moment. Sounds easy, doesn't it?

But staying present at the moment is often very difficult. Our minds are clogged with remnants of yesterday's thoughts, bad memories, anxieties, fear of the future. And all this prevents us from seeing the beauty and simplicity of the present - the moment we are living right now.

It took me years to learn how to live in the present. My childhood was traumatic; my mother died when I was ten. I remember the days I visited her in the hospital, naively believing that all would be well.

I grew up with my father and six brothers, which was both a blessing and a curse to me. Even though we all lived together, for me, the only girl in the family who grew up without maternal influence, it was difficult to accept my femininity, to feel the power, to become more confident, and to love myself as I am.

I had to go a long way to analyze the experience of the people around me to understand who I am and where I'm going.

My intense feelings and emotions from the past dragged me into my former life, where I was forced to walk in a circle of old, familiar feelings, without completely noticing what was happening at that moment.

But I managed to overcome myself, and instead of filling my heart with fear, I began to learn to accept my past, my present, and what should happen to me in the future. It was a very fruitful process that continues in me to this day.

So here are some tips from me that I hope will help and inspire you to live in the present:

Accept your past as it is

Learning to accept your past is not always easy, especially if it has been traumatic or tragic. Accept your thoughts and feelings without judging them.

Accepting the past does not mean changing it or forgetting about it. Rather, it is about changing our perception of past events, which will allow us to live more freely.

The moment you begin to accept what it was, the moment your healing begins. This is the moment when you stop clinging to your past, you begin to continue and live in the present. Give yourself some time.

Remember that this is a process, not a race or a competition.

Externalize your emotions

I can't express how important it is to let myself feel open and free and not just to feel, but to keep that feeling.

Retaining emotions, especially negative ones, only makes you experience emotional disturbances and keeps you in the past.

Try to share your experiences with loved ones: a friend, family member, partner, or psychotherapist. If there is no one so close to you, then try to express your emotions through non-verbal means: play a musical instrument, paint or write poetry. Creativity is a way to release everything that is closed inside you.

Train your attention

Being attentive means being aware of your inner world (thoughts, emotions, bodily sensations, breathing) and your outer world (environment/environment, actions about others), which will allow you to live longer in the present.

Our minds can produce a large number of thoughts in just a few seconds. Some may be positive, some may be negative, but most of the time our thoughts wander in the past or the future.

Our thoughts create reality. The more your mind is occupied with a particular thought, the more it becomes one of your beliefs. Therefore, it is important to be selective with the thoughts that reign in your head. This will allow you to create a positive reality and not a confusing one.

By living in the present, you create a bright future

So give yourself time to embrace your past, feel open and free, and exercise your attention. And you know that by doing all this, not only do you allow yourself to live in the present, but you also create the best option for your future.