I remembered that in my [EP 8: Let’s Talk About Happiness: 3 Lessons Learnt From Within], towards the end of the episode I shared a 4th lesson regarding happiness, and that is:

“Happiness comes from living in the present moment.” 

If you managed to stay throughout the episode, you would have caught it. 

I did not further elaborate on this idea, because at that point in time I felt that I was in no position to. I find it especially challenging to stay grounded in the present moment. I also did not exactly feel like I was close to mastering it, and to a certain extent, I was also not aware of what’s beyond the surface of this simple statement. Like most people, we all like to say “live in the present moment” but how many of us actually spend time and effort to understand what this phrase means. What does living in the present look like? And to what extent can we live in the present moment?  

For all I know, it is easier said than done, but I also believe that all of us can. It is achievable as long as there is curiosity, humility, willingness and patience. I’ve been constantly learning the process and attributes required and even till now, I am still learning – learning to live in the present moment as much as possible. I don’t believe that we can live in the present moment 100% of the time every day but consciously incorporating this thought in random moments of our life and actually trying to slow down to make it happen, is something I have been obsessed with, because I do see the benefits associated with it. One of them is definitely happiness, but it is more than just happiness that I’ve come to see. A lot more.

As such, I am going to dedicate an entire series to expand on this specific lesson in greater details. In essence, based on my understanding so far- living in the present moment, is simply shifting from doing mode to being mode. Not that I feel that I am qualified or ready to do so, but like what I mentioned in episode 8, I feel that regardless which stage we are at, there are still experiences and lessons we can bring to the table.

At this point in my life, this is something I am consciously practicing and I would like to openly share this journey with you and to bring greater awareness around: What does it actually mean to live in the present moment? What qualities are required to do so? How has my own experience been so far in trying to stay in the present moment? What are some of the challenges observed? What is the value of doing so? These are a few questions that will be answered in the second series of Chill By Nette: Health & Wellness Podcast- “Cultivating Mindfulness”.

This series, like the first, was inspired by my own practice of trying to achieve a better self. This time it is all about creating more mindful moments and cultivating the art of mindfulness when approaching life events. The series will be primarily based on my personal experiences and lessons learned, with some research incorporated whenever appropriate.

I come to understand that at the heart of living in the present moment is the concept of “mindfulness”. Very simply, the practice of “keeping the mind in the present moment” is the practice of “mindfulness”. You will find that I will be using these terms interchangeably in my episodes. Learning the art of staying grounded in the present moment is not a one-time off process and it surely requires effort, dedication and time to cultivate. It is also not something that I have mastered in the past few months to be very honest. I probably only am just starting to uncover the tip of an entire huge ice-berg after all these time trying to practice mindfulness.

However, even in such an arguably short time-frame, I have witnessed several benefits, and generated insights which I felt were important to my life, and I would like to share in this intimate personal journey with you.

As I will be taking you through this new beginning of mine, I will be learning throughout the journey as well. This series is mindfully created (pun-intended) for those who would like to explore the journey of being more in touch with their mind, body and soul.

It is created for those who genuinely want to seek greater clarity in their lives, not necessarily to achieve an end goal of happiness (even though this may come as a by-product), but keen to cultivate awareness around their authentic being. Positive feelings of happiness, calmness, or peacefulness may come as a by-product (each individual varies) but I would say neither of them should be the driver for practicing mindfulness. You practice it because you want to be more connected with the present and to feel more of what life has to offer.

All in all, do look forward to this series and I welcome you to join me on this new adventure of mine! Cheers to new beginnings!

Written By:
Jeannette Qhek
BSc in Psychology & Human Resources (Singapore Management University)
Voice of Chill By Nette