How to Live for Today
Wander., Choose doors to enter., Enter your flow state., Spend time alone., Practice forgiveness.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Wander.
Go out in the world on foot, weather permitting.
Instead of making a plan, let your feet carry you around.
Walk to a neighborhood you rarely visit, or a park.
Take a bus and walk around somewhere you don't spend much time.
Spend as much time on your feet and without a map or a phone as you comfortably can.
If you find yourself automatically taking routes you always take, reprogram yourself.
For example, take an ordinary route but take a crucial wrong turn.
Take a map and draw a shape on it with your eyes closed.
Now follow the "route" you drew through the city as closely as you safely can.
Call a friend and ask them what their favorite point in your town is.
Ask for very rough directions and see if you can find it before sunset.
Feel free to change your mind at any point and walk in the directions that attract you.
You're getting lost in order to live fully, not enact a strict plan. -
Step 2: Choose doors to enter.
Take the opportunities given to you today, whether they be invitations from friends or samples at the grocery store.
Don't do anything that makes you feel truly wrong, but do encourage yourself to try new things.
Say "yes" to more than you usually do, and you might surprise yourself. , Do work that compels your attention completely.
Do not time yourself, but let yourself focus for as long as you naturally can.
Play music, read, write, dance, walk, or work on a project or hobby.
Flow state means you are in the moment, creative, focused, and undistracted.
If you have no work or hobby that can completely occupy your attention, work on developing one.
Pick a project that involves your most developed skills and is meaningful to you.
Eliminate distractions.
Do not check your email, any websites, or your phone while you work.
If you were productive, lost track of time, and felt good after working, you were in flow state. , You can be alone in public or privately alone, but take some solitary time.
If most of your solitary time is spent a certain way, find another way to spend it.
For instance, if you work from home, go somewhere else to be alone.
Visit a library, a museum, or take yourself out to lunch.
Spend time away from your phone and your computer.
Forgetting your ordinary obligations will help you live in the moment. , Choose to move on from feelings of resentment.
Nothing takes you away from the present like dwelling in the past.
To clear your day of resentment, make a list of people who have hurt you, or, if there is one person strongly on your mind, write only that name.
Spend some time thinking about how much they hurt you, and what effect that has had on you.Decide to attempt forgiveness.
Say it aloud if that sometimes helps you.
Ask yourself what you know about the person who hurt you.
Try to reconstruct the stresses, pressures, traumas, and fears that this person has experienced.
Let go of your anger.
Allow yourself to feel compassion for the person who wronged you.
You don't have to reconcile them, just let yourself feel some goodwill towards them.
Forgiveness can have a positive effect on your health and wellbeing.
Choosing to forgive a betrayal can lower your blood pressure, improve your heart health, and diminish anxiety and depression. -
Step 3: Enter your flow state.
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Step 4: Spend time alone.
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Step 5: Practice forgiveness.
Detailed Guide
Go out in the world on foot, weather permitting.
Instead of making a plan, let your feet carry you around.
Walk to a neighborhood you rarely visit, or a park.
Take a bus and walk around somewhere you don't spend much time.
Spend as much time on your feet and without a map or a phone as you comfortably can.
If you find yourself automatically taking routes you always take, reprogram yourself.
For example, take an ordinary route but take a crucial wrong turn.
Take a map and draw a shape on it with your eyes closed.
Now follow the "route" you drew through the city as closely as you safely can.
Call a friend and ask them what their favorite point in your town is.
Ask for very rough directions and see if you can find it before sunset.
Feel free to change your mind at any point and walk in the directions that attract you.
You're getting lost in order to live fully, not enact a strict plan.
Take the opportunities given to you today, whether they be invitations from friends or samples at the grocery store.
Don't do anything that makes you feel truly wrong, but do encourage yourself to try new things.
Say "yes" to more than you usually do, and you might surprise yourself. , Do work that compels your attention completely.
Do not time yourself, but let yourself focus for as long as you naturally can.
Play music, read, write, dance, walk, or work on a project or hobby.
Flow state means you are in the moment, creative, focused, and undistracted.
If you have no work or hobby that can completely occupy your attention, work on developing one.
Pick a project that involves your most developed skills and is meaningful to you.
Eliminate distractions.
Do not check your email, any websites, or your phone while you work.
If you were productive, lost track of time, and felt good after working, you were in flow state. , You can be alone in public or privately alone, but take some solitary time.
If most of your solitary time is spent a certain way, find another way to spend it.
For instance, if you work from home, go somewhere else to be alone.
Visit a library, a museum, or take yourself out to lunch.
Spend time away from your phone and your computer.
Forgetting your ordinary obligations will help you live in the moment. , Choose to move on from feelings of resentment.
Nothing takes you away from the present like dwelling in the past.
To clear your day of resentment, make a list of people who have hurt you, or, if there is one person strongly on your mind, write only that name.
Spend some time thinking about how much they hurt you, and what effect that has had on you.Decide to attempt forgiveness.
Say it aloud if that sometimes helps you.
Ask yourself what you know about the person who hurt you.
Try to reconstruct the stresses, pressures, traumas, and fears that this person has experienced.
Let go of your anger.
Allow yourself to feel compassion for the person who wronged you.
You don't have to reconcile them, just let yourself feel some goodwill towards them.
Forgiveness can have a positive effect on your health and wellbeing.
Choosing to forgive a betrayal can lower your blood pressure, improve your heart health, and diminish anxiety and depression.
About the Author
Ann Palmer
Experienced content creator specializing in home improvement guides and tutorials.
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