IMA WA IMA
INTRODUCTION
Perhaps the most beautiful film I’ve seen in a while, that’s the film: “Perfect Days” by Wim Wenders. This film tells the story of a cleaner in Tokyo, who is completely satisfied with his simple life. Every day he experiences the beauty of that day. Every day is a perfect day.
I thought it was a beautiful film, so you have the chance… Go see it.
This film focuses on life in the NOW: IMA WA IMA (is Japanese for NOW is NOW). This film struck me even more because this is exactly what can happen when you get tired.
You no longer live in the NOW, but touch or:
– focused on the future
– Caught up in the past
In both cases, you are not concerned with the NOW and I think there are negative consequences to that.
This piece of the site is about the benefits of living in NOW.
Good luck reading
TOGETHER
Why is losing NOW annoying? Because then you start living in the past or the future and that is a shame in the end. Let me explain.
(I will make a separate piece for each part here (still under development). So if you press the buttons below (which are still being made), I’ll explain)
When you think about the past, 2 things can happen.
1) you long for something beautiful that has been and that can lead to (melancholy/ homesickness)
2) you are reminded of something unpleasant from the past that can cause (pain/trauma)
If you live with an eye on the future, you can also do 2 things.
1) you dread what can happen, that gives you (fear/sadness)
2) you are looking forward to something in the future, which is not yet there NOW (hope)
Both have a negative undertone and especially if you are low in your energy you are extra sensitive to this.
Whatever happens, it makes you unattractive NOW and that costs a lot of energy.
You can try to see the beautiful things that are happening in life NOW. And that takes practice. Together with your environment, you will cultivate awareness. Meaning you will start to reflect on that which is NOW.
You can practice that through something like mindfulness or meditation, meant to calm / direct your thoughts.
CHANGE
After my burnout, I went to a meditation course to get the hang of it. And actually, it followed the same pattern.
The main purpose of the course was to let my thoughts run wild. To change the thoughts of, for example,
the past:
– the beautiful Limburg of the past (homesickness/melancholy)
– the fact that I used to be bullied (how sad and lonely I felt then)
the future
– the sadness about the fact that my children will ever leave home (oh how bad)
-the hope that I will be happier in the future than NOW (because I am very tired, because I have had a burnout)
To bring it to a standstill.
That didn’t happen by itself. My thoughts and emotions flew in all directions. It was really a jumble of thoughts and it felt very unsafe.
I then developed a kind of meditation method of my own. It’s that simple… I downloaded an app with rain sounds and started listening to it. I lay down on the bed with the earphones in and the rain sound as a background. And let my mind wander. I thought… Think about it, apparently I need it.
By stubbornly keeping this up for a while, my thoughts, after a few weeks, entered calmer waters. I had the feeling that the intensity was lessening and I was slowly starting to get a grip on them.
And then something changed. I don’t know exactly how it works, but I felt like I was calming down. And that I came into a kind of empty space with my thoughts. A white page that could start colouring.
And that was strange for a while. I noticed that I became aware of the NOW. I had arrived in the NOW.
GROW
I wish this experience for everyone. By focusing on the NOW, your life NOW just becomes much more fun.
What has to be said, however, is that this is not easy. If you want to achieve this, you have to practice it.
Every now and then, you will consciously reflect on what is NOW and why this NOW is a Perfect Day. I’m trying
– when I wake up, think about what will be fun about this day
– during the break, to consciously reflect on the NOW (I drink coffee NOW, nice colleagues NOW.)
– In the evening at the table we discuss why it was a Perfect Day
– When I go to sleep, I try to think about why this day was so beautiful.
You grow towards recognizing what is beautiful NOW. You learn to appreciate the cup of coffee, that the sun is shining, that the birds are chirping, that the wind is blowing in your face, that there is good food tonight, that you are (relatively) healthy… etc… etc.. etc…
And you become freed from the Past and the Future and live in what is important NOW.
TRUST
Books have been written about NOW. The power of the NOW, living in the NOW, all kinds of Buddhist books. All focused on finding happy moments by living in the NOW.
By living in the NOW, you will feel and trust that this is the only thing you have. The rest doesn’t exist. So, focusing on NOW is the only chance for a beautiful life.
And if you do get caught up in the past or present, you deal with it differently. As an example:
I still think Limburg is beautiful… I could take the train NOW and go there.
Yes, I was bullied in my childhood… I see it coming sooner NOW (so I’m going to set boundaries)
Yes, one day my children will leave the house….so I have to enjoy them NOW and spend as much time as possible
The hope for a better future… I am working on that NOW, by changing things that will make the future better.
You will find that you cannot change the past and the future, but the way you look at it NOW can. That’s where the profit is and that’s where the confidence is that this will work out.
SUMMARY
Living in the past or the future leads you to forget to live in the NOW and that is a shame. It takes a lot of energy, and it doesn’t yield anything
After all, you are alive NOW… so make the most of it NOW… IMA WA IMA….