Grateful for Today (2)

http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/index.php?term=pto-3047.html&fromMod=emailed

Peace of mind is in relaxed awareness of the present, not continually searching for something special. So says Hara Estroff Marano in this article. Acknowledging the fact that people are searching for ways to be happier, Marano consulted Josh Baran, author of 365 Nirvana Here and Now: Living Every Moment in the Enlightenment. Baran was once a Zen Buddhist priest, and was always searching for the truth. He didn't like it, because the process was exhausting. Then he realized that peace of mind was right in front of him, in his face.

Josh Baran suggests that you stop thinking about what is missing, and start thinking about what you have. He himself takes snippets of quotes from movies and books and writers about living in the now. To make your life seem more new, for instance, you can take a bath and feel the bath, notice how warm it is, and enjoying it. "Life is only lived moment to moment," Baran says. And once you start thinking that way, it will become more enjoyable.

I enjoyed this article and agreed fully with it. My own personal therapist often tells me that when I'm stressed out or feeling bad, I need to stop and think about what it presently going on, instead of thinking about the future.

This article doesn't bring any new research or ideas to the world of psychology. However it does educate people on how to live better lives and be happier. It's something psychologists can use with their patients, and something everyone can learn from.

Marano, Hara Estroff. "Grateful for Today." Psychology Today (2003).