One of the things that I am constantly trying to improve is my ability to stay in the present moment. I believe this skill is essential to living a happy life. 

Think about a time when you have felt anxious, sad, overwhelmed, worried, or angry. Most often these types of emotions arise because of something that has already happened or has yet to happen. 

When you view it from this perspective it actually seems a bit silly... 

We get really worked up from things that have already happened. But why?

If it has already happened then wouldn't we be much better off staying calm and in control of our emotions? We would be able to think so much clearer and start to solve the problem rather than wasting energy getting angry or upset. We could just learn from the situation, grow, and move on with our life. 

We also have a bad habit of getting really anxious about things that haven't even happened yet. But why?

If something hasn't even occurred then why would we worry so much? Wouldn't we feel so much better if we just did the things that would better prepare us for what may come rather than simply worrying about what may come? 

Last week was one of those weeks for me. On Monday my refrigerator stopped working. On Tuesday I had a flat tire at work. On Wednesday I had to jackhammer up my basement floor to find a pipe that needed to be replaced so for 5 days I had to wash all of my dishes in my bathtub and then scrub my bathtub every evening so that I could give my daughter a bath before putting her down to sleep... AAHHHH!!!

Last week I felt extremely overwhelmed and anxious. I had thoughts like "Why is this happening to me?!", "How am I going to get all this work done?", "This is the worst week ever!".... But then I stopped the downward spiral and started to change my thoughts and emotions. I started to calm myself down because I knew that in a week or so that everything would be fine. None of these things were actually that bad. I turned my anxious feelings into productive thoughts... "What can I do today that will make me feel better tomorrow?" All of these events had occurred so it was time to move on and take action. My initial thoughts and emotions were in fact real and probably justified. But I also realized they were no longer helpful. So I worked hard to get back in the present moment and just did what needed to be done. I started having positive productive thoughts and the actions that followed were also positive and productive. 

Remember, if something is out of our control then we should not let it consume our mind. And quite often the things that bother us the most have already happened or haven't happened.

They are in the past or in the future (maybe?). And since we cannot change the past or the future then don't let these events outside of our control breed unproductive thoughts or emotions. 

I am not saying that you need to eliminate or ignore these types of emotions because we all experience feelings of anxiety, sadness, worry, anger, and being overwhelmed. That is completely normal and a part of everyone's life. Acknowledge those emotions and the events that have triggered them. Once you have accepted these emotions then it is time to move forward and realize that if you just stay in the present moment then YOU are in the driver's seat. YOU are in control.

Let go of the past and quit trying to change the future. 

Live in the moment. 

"Remember, each individual has a choice. You are always the one in control. The cause of irritation or our notion that something is bad, that comes from us, from our labels or our expectations. Just as easily, to accept and love what's happening around us. And this wisdom has been repeated and independently discovered in every century and every country since time began."
- Ryan Holiday

Thanks for reading, 

Zack