What if it was time to stop putting off our happiness until later? What if we could be happy here and now? Indeed, we tend to put conditions on our happiness: I’ll be happy when I have this and that, or when this and that has happened in my life. But happiness has nothing to do with a finish line to be reached as quickly as possible. Happiness is the path. What does that mean? It means we can be happy right here, right now. But how? Here are 5 keys to making the most of the present moment for instant happiness!

1 – Learn to practice gratitude, because it’s magic

Without realizing it, we have a rather negative attitude to life. In fact, we tend to see only the negative and talk only about it.

That’s why we can’t enjoy the present moment and be happy here and now, because there are too many things going wrong, frustrating us, missing from our lives.

So, are we condemned to always waiting for happiness?

In fact, we have a choice to make at every moment: to have a negative attitude or to have a positive one.

You don’t have to see and talk only about the negative. Yes, you can make the choice to see the positive and talk about it.

But how? By taking stock of what’s going well in your life.

All the time!

Because to be happy in the present moment, you have to stop living in frustration and start vibrating with gratitude.

That’s why you need to take stock of what’s going on right now. Are you in good health? Do you have a roof over your head and food in your cupboards? What’s more, you can hear the birds singing, admire the sky, the clouds, the stars?

Then, yes, you have every reason to be happy and enjoy the present moment.

In fact, it’s time to stop believing that happiness is more than that. It isn’t! Happiness is as simple, as sweet, as magical as that.

That’s why I wholeheartedly invite you to practice gratitude morning, noon and night. Set alarms on your phone to think about it.

2 – Look up more often to enjoy the moment

Because we don’t always realize how beautiful the sky is, and therefore how precious a gift life is.

In fact, we’re so wrapped up in our minds and our thoughts, which drive us to flail around trying to amass material possessions, that we no longer see the magic of everything around us.

What if we stopped and took advantage of the present moment to be happy?

We’ve forgotten to marvel at everything and anything. In fact, we stress about everything and nothing.

What if we changed our way of seeing things? Because that’s what happiness is all about: a change in our outlook, in our consciousness.

That’s why I wholeheartedly invite you to raise your eyes to the sky, to contemplate and marvel at it, and to plunge into the magic of the present moment.

To think about it, I invite you to do this at key moments in your daily life: drink your coffee or glass of water in front of a window. If possible, open it so you can feel the air on your face. And contemplate the sky.

Yes, enjoying the present moment is as simple as that.

3 – Stop thinking about tomorrow

We don’t know how to enjoy the present moment, because all we do is worry about tomorrow. In fact, even if our present is overflowing with gifts and good news, we can’t help but think: “But what if tomorrow everything comes to an end?”

And we get anxious, when all we should be doing is enjoying the present moment and being happy.

So what can we do to stop thinking about tomorrow and spoil our lives?

To do so, we need to learn to let go, or rather, to allow ourselves to let go.

Because the problem is, when you catch yourself thinking about tomorrow and getting anxious, you can’t let go of your anxiety-filled thoughts.

In fact, maybe you tell yourself that if you’re thinking about it, it must be for a good reason, so you’re right to be anxious.

Maybe you feel guilty and say to yourself: “I’m still worrying. It’s always the same.” And maybe you even feel like you’re trapped in some kind of curse.

Stop!

In fact, it’s normal to think about tomorrow and get anxious. It happens to everyone, every day. So there’s no curse on you. You’re perfectly normal. In fact, you’re a human being (laughs).

The only thing you have to learn to do is to let go, because you don’t have to listen to your thoughts.

So just breathe. And the next time you find yourself unable to enjoy the present moment because of anxiety-filled thoughts about tomorrow, just say to yourself: “I’m getting anxious about tomorrow. I’m letting go.”

Then do something else. Look at the sky, practice gratitude, for example.

You’re not a prisoner of your thoughts, so stop acting as if they were. So make the choice not to listen to them.

And let go as often as you need to. Some days you’ll need to do it 10 times, or even 20. Just do it.

4 – Learn to let go of your past to enjoy the present moment

To feel fully happy in the present moment, it’s essential to know how to let go of your past.

Because the past regularly comes back to haunt us. We remember our mistakes or our sorrows, and we relive the same negative emotions and thoughts.

So how can we get out of this vicious circle and enjoy the present moment?

You’ll need to learn to forgive.

Yes, forgive yourself for your mistakes and forgive others for theirs.

Understand that everyone makes mistakes and that we all suffer from each other’s mistakes and even from our own mistakes. That’s what it means to be human.

So you’re not alone in struggling with your past. So take a breath and learn to forgive yourself and others.

As often as you need to. After all, sometimes you’ll need to forgive yourself 20, 50 or even 100 times for the same mistake.

It’s only natural. Just do it!

5 – Be a child to taste happiness

Children know how to enjoy the moment. This means that enjoying the moment can’t be taught, because children do it naturally.

That’s why enjoying the moment is all about unlearning what we’ve learned.

It’s about unlearning to see only the negative side of life. Recapture the positive attitude of children.

Also, unlearn to be restless and surround yourself with material possessions. Rediscover your childlike wonder at the world, nature and life all around you.

Finally, unlearn how to listen to your thoughts, how to be afraid of them, how to dwell on them. Allow yourself to let go and forgive. As often as you need to.

In fact, instead of losing yourself in your thoughts, look all around you, feel deep in your heart. Because thinking is not living. So stop thinking, live!

Yes, become a child again. Not to behave like a child, but to rediscover the simple, exuberant joie de vivre of a child.

Because enjoying the present moment means playing with life, living it, feeling it, not thinking about it. As children do so well.

So live, that’s what being happy is all about.

Find out more:

I invite you to read these 2 complementary articles:

Discover How to live in the present moment? 4 powerful exercises
Discover What to do when everything seems negative: 5 tips

I recommend this inspiring book:

Stillness Is the Key by Ryan Holiday

In Stillness Is the Key, Ryan Holiday explores the importance of finding calm and tranquility in the midst of a chaotic world. Drawing on ancient philosophy and modern examples, he shows how stillness can lead to greater clarity, creativity and fulfillment. This book serves as a guide for anyone seeking to enjoy the present moment by cultivating moments of quiet reflection and inner peace in their daily lives.

I loved this book. Ryan Holiday shares his ideas in a well-written way, and then illustrates them with real-world events.
I think many of today’s stressed people would benefit from reading this book.

Thank you very much for reading this article.

If you liked it, let me know in the comments.

Take care of yourself