What does stay in the moment mean?

You've heard it on the TV, radio and read it in books but what does it mean...'stay in the moment'?  Before I explain what I think it means, it really is important to stay in the moment because that's all we have...the moment. The past is over and the future hasn't happened yet so staying in the moment is the best place to be!  The thing is that we frequently leave the present and start imagining the future and not always in a good way.  In fact, frequently it doesn't have a happy ending in our little film that we play and we begin to feel bad about something that hasn't even happened.

I'm sure with all the plans that you are making for your wedding you are also making pictures of what your wedding will look like and the film that you run may not play out the way you want it to, which fills you with feelings of anxiety and dread.  Not a good start to the wedding day, is it?  You're making all these plans and you want to savour every moment of your big day, not end up feeling that it didn't really happen or that you missed it!

There is a simple technique that will keep you in the moment and you can do it everyday and gradually you will stay in the moment without having to think about it.  When you are feeling overwhelmed by plans, decisions and disappointments, look outside yourself and notice what you see, what you hear and what you smell.  This will take you instantly into the present and keep you there as long as you focus on the what you see, hear and smell.  The more frequently you come into the present and notice what is going on around you, the less overwhelming everything will seem.  You see, what we create in our minds is frequently far worse than reality so keep in touch with reality as much as you can throughout the day and stop and smell the roses!