If you want to stay happy, stay in the moment. Don’t think about the past. Don’t think about the future; want to be happy, stay in the moment. I’ve been listening to this since last so many years. In fact, there’s a study; and based upon this study, there’s a TEDx Talk. Also, they observed more than 15,000 people across 80 countries and they found that people who stay in the moment are much happier than those who don’t; those who think about the future and past always. 

How To Stay In The Moment?

But my question to you is, how to stay in the moment? What do you mean by staying in the moment? 

A few months ago, I got the answer to this question and I’ve been practicing these last few months. Got some good benefits and as a storyteller, whenever I learn something and get some benefits it becomes my responsibility to share with you. 

So let me share with you how I’m practicing staying in the moment, or let me use this story, which recently happened with me to put things in perspective. Imagine for a moment that you are traveling in a train and you’re hungry and you have nothing to eat in your bag, and then you see your cool passenger opening different homemade paratha and you love paratha. 

Whats Your First Thought?

What will be the first thought in your mind? Can I get one? Really implement that part. Will you ask for that paratha? The chances are very less. Why? Because your first thought will be killed by subsequent thoughts. Like what if I asked? And he says no in front of everyone, what others will think? What if he just ignores me? What I remember last time I saw someone asking something like this and that person said, will not give it up. 

But if you observe all the second, third, fourth thoughts, they all are infected by either past or future. These are just assumptions, but your first thought was natural. Your first thought was actually representing that moment. Whenever we implement our first thought, we are actually living in that moment. 

Your first thought is always pure. It is never affected by or infected by or influenced by the past and future. It’s always about that moment. When I realized that I started implementing the first thought in my mind, in all of the situations in my life. I try my best to implement the very first thought and I did that on that train. I looked at him and I said, excuse me; your parathas are looking very tempting. I can’t resist. Can you share one with me? I know that I ate two parathas that day. We became real friends talking to each other the whole journey. 

Implement Your First Thought

I’m going to start implementing first thought in my life. I got some amazing benefits. 

Let me share one more. I share a very special relationship with my father. My father is very strict. I’m not saying my father was strict. My father IS strict. I have a certain childhood. Of course we love, we respect but there’s always a distance between me and my father. I never hugged him; I don’t remember shaking hands with my father. I’m not saying I’m the only person in India like that. I’ve seen many father and son relationships like this special in this country. Last time I remember when I went to Nasik where my parents stay when I’m coming back, the first thought came in my mind when my father was standing on the road and just to say bye to me, the first thought came in my mind was I should hug him and I implemented that first thought. You know what in thirty-eight years that was the first time I hugged my dad. It was an emotional moment I don’t know why, but it was an emotional moment for both of us possible only because I implemented first thought. Not every time we meet. Okay. We don’t hug every time, but now we shake hands.  I remember I pat him on his shoulder, okay Dad, bye take care. 

TedX and Sunglasses

Our relationship has slightly changed because I decided to implement the first thought. I had many benefits by implementing first thought. If you see my latest TEDx Talk , I got the standing ovation in the middle of the talk, just because I decided to implement that first thought in my mind, the light was really bothering me and the sunglasses were in my pocket. I’d decided to wear those sunglasses on the TEDx stage. I implemented the first thought. Implementing first thought will always help you to stay in the moment to stay in the present and it’s proven now that if you stay in the present, it will help you to stay happy, try to stay in the moment, try to implement that first thought in your life. 

Maybe some hugs are pending because you’re not implementing that first thought. So start practicing from now, write down what is the first thought coming in your mind after watching this video, put in the comments. 

How to stay in the moment? 

Implement the very first thought in your mind, the easiest way to stay in the moment.