Living in the present and being grateful for where we are

What could you do differently?

I am currently sitting at home on day 3 of having a fever on and off, with headaches and chills. I saw this prompt and was unsure where it was meaning to go. I read a comment from someone on the original prompt saying “this is super vague what is this referring to?”

I have to agree with them there, what could I do differently in terms of what? My whole life?

So as my response to this blog post I’m going to say I don’t think I want to think about what I could have done differently. I’ve said it a million times before but as an anxious girl, I am always overthinking everything anyways. The what ifs, should haves etc live permanently cycling in my brain, so I’ve come to a point in my life where I try my best to practice living in the present.

In the prompt from earlier this month about living in the past or future, I talk a bit more about the importance of bringing yourself into the present moment, so I’ll make this post a bit more personal. Right now I’m lying on my couch in my nice apartment with my cats and my wife has been bringing me food and caring for me while I’m not feeling great. There are loads of things that in the past I’ve done and thought “damn I wish that went differently” or “how stupid was I?” …. But then, I truly believe that my present is the result of every moment of my past, and perhaps I wouldn’t be where I am today if I changed something in the past. Maybe it’s showing my age that I believe time travel is the same as Back to the Future?

Either way, I believe being in the moment and practicing gratitude is important for our mental health and appreciation of where we are. I practice this with my adult clients each program day, where we share one thing we’re grateful for even if it’s a “horrible” day. This helps us remind ourselves that even in dark times we can turn find some light (yes a paraphrase of Dumbledore). Sometimes the world can be a hard place to live in, so any reminder of brightness to life is essential.

Let’s practice together! What are you grateful for today?

Today I’m grateful for the sunshine through the window, my wife for helping me while I’m sick and for the cozy space we’ve created as our home 🩷

Any small celebration of the present is perfect…. Share in the comments if you like!