A reader asks: "How Can I Focus on Staying in the Present?"
The Answer is:
Creativity - The very fact that we exist is a statement of Creativity. All of Nature and the Universe is in a constant cycle of breaking down and rebuilding. This is not some “New Age” notion, it is a scientific fact. Therefore, to be in the flow of the cosmos around you, you must view and engage with your life from a perspective of Creation. This will help you to see that you have greater control over your relationships, your work, your destiny than you previously imagined. From that point on, life becomes a kind of ongoing and intriguing experiment: Trying different things, or combinations of things, to discover what produces the best result.
How to develop the Creative Mindset
Anything you learn requires exposure and repetition to weave it into the fabric of your life. Creativity is no different. You must start simply to understand the “Process of Making Art” and then later, endeavor to view your life as an ongoing art project.
First, scour your past inspirations to discover what intrigued or intrigues you in the creative realm. Might it be music, painting, working with fabric, ceramics, or gardening? Be courageous and begin by buying some rudimentary tools to involve your hands in your chosen creative endeavor. Or, in the case of music, sing along with the radio or recorded music, listen to the nuances and what makes it sound the way it does. Can you emulate those vocal modulations? Could you imagine one day singing those lyrics at a Karaoke club? That might be a good goal to shoot for.
In my case, I bought some cheap mounted canvases from a local art store, some brushes and a few acrylic paint colors and started experimenting with some abstract shapes. Using more or less water and moving the paint around on the surface to get different effects. The time passed so quickly and by the time I finished, I was already imagining my next piece.
How the Creative Process Grounds You in the Moment? When you are engaged in art, singing or working with your hands, it becomes a kind of meditation. Many areas of your brain get in on the game and play their part in helping you participate in and refine the process. Suddenly, you realize, you haven’t thought about problems, insecurities, work or relationships, you have been totally focused on the task(s) at hand. Most likely, you will find that you can no longer go even a day without involving yourself in some aspect of your project(s), because of how it makes you feel. How it transports you to a heightened sense of awareness, a new found clarity and sense of purpose.
Slowly, You Will Begin to See that Life Itself Can Be a Form of Self Expression. Yes, the way you carry yourself, the way you speak and interact with others, even how you handle the paperwork on your desk at work can be a form of self expression. Eventually, every action, every word, every movement, even every thought arises from the “inner artist” evolving inside you. Each element of your life begins to have value, consequences, a deeper meaning.
You begin to see that even as you shape your own experience, it shapes you in turn. When you observe that little tweaks to the way you engage with the people, places and things in your world, alters the connection and the outcome, you’ll be hooked.
You’ll awaken each day, feeling empowered to make a positive difference for yourself and others. Life will become less of a chore and more of a playful experiment. You’ll understand intuitively that each day progresses more smoothly and pleasurably when you are fully present and in control of your own actions. From that point on, being present will be an automatic condition. Because you wouldn't want to be anywhere else!
-Shane Eric Mathias
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