Shift Your Focus: Embrace Present Moments for Lasting Happiness
Five Key Ways to Discover Happiness in Your Life
Peace Overtures Today is a weekly newsletter dedicated to guiding individuals on their personal quest for inner peace. Each week, I share a movie that helped me discover balance. It’s a process of awareness and healing that leads to sparks of joy. I’m sincerely grateful to have you here with me.
For many of us, we often seek happiness in the wrong places. We yearn for the past, reminiscing about a time when everything seemed perfect and filled with joy. We look ahead, anticipating retirement, striving to earn more money, or seeking validation for our work. It’s common for most of us to find ourselves unable to find happiness in the present moment, so we turn to our smartphones, hoping that Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter will distract us from the unhappiness we feel. Often, we become trapped in a cycle of burnout, which makes it difficult to derive joy from our families or appreciate the happiness within our marriages. It's as if we are confined within our own limited perspective, unaware of what steps to take next.
When we find ourselves trapped in this cycle, desperately searching for relief or happiness in the past or future, we become unavailable to connect with the beauty that surrounds us. We miss out on connecting with those who truly love us, and we fail to recognize the inherent joy of simply being alive. I hope that through this post and the attached podcast, you can effectively utilize these tools to rediscover the happiness that is present in the here and now.
Our featured AMP film is called About Time (2013), starring Domhnall Gleeson, Rachel McAdams, and Bill Nighy. This delightful film tells the story of Tim, played by Domhnall Gleeson and what he does with his time traveling abilities.
Tim’s father played by Bill Nighy teaches Tim how to use this ability to go back in time. It’s a gift that’s been passed down through the men in Tim’s family from generation to generation.
Tim decides that he’ll use his gift to discover how to find true love. When he meets Mary, played by Rachel MacAdams, Tim goes on a journey of self-discovery and shows us the following five key ways to discover happiness in your life.
Stop Looking for Happiness in the Past and Future
For many of us, time becomes a significant factor in our pursuit of happiness. We often find ourselves saying phrases like,
"If only I had more time"
or
"I never seem to have enough time."
There are moments when we become fixated on past disappointments or perceived mistakes, and we exert great effort to prevent them from recurring in our future.
Living life in this manner results in fragments of ourselves being divided between the past and the future, causing us to miss out on the joy that awaits us in the present. We fail to fully experience personal connections and discover the simple pleasures of life.
Frequently, we postpone our happiness, anticipating a future time when we believe we will have more time to indulge in it.
An excellent example of this is Tim's Dad, who consciously chose to retire at the age of 50 in order to spend more time with his family and engage in reading. This family truly knows how to embrace life's joys. They carve out long afternoons to savor tea together while enjoying the company of one another by the seaside. They serve as an inspiration for us to make time to appreciate life, regardless of the circumstances—even the weather. They demonstrate the essence of cherishing each and every moment.
Let Go and Stop Trying to Control Every Moment
In the movie, Tim possesses the ability to travel back in time and alter what he perceives as past mistakes, aiming for the desired outcome. However, as the story unfolds, he begins to realize that life is not about meticulously managing every single moment, as he once believed. Instead, he learns to let go and embrace life as it unfolds, unedited.
A notable example of this shift in perspective is evident during Tim and Mary's wedding, particularly in their responses to the rain. While some guests become upset, others relax, laugh, and appreciate the unexpected turn of events. When Tim suggests choosing a different day for the wedding, Mary laughs and asserts that the present day is the best. Mary serves as an embodiment of someone who finds joy in the situation as it naturally unfolds, while Tim questions and contemplates.
To assist you in releasing the urge to control every moment, it is beneficial to reflect on the third key lesson conveyed in this enlightening movie:
Let Go of Your Expectations about How Life Should Be
By releasing our expectations, we take the first step toward truly living in the present moment. You see, these expectations have the power to rob us of our peace and divert our attention from the delightful aspects that life has to offer.
Now, we're not suggesting that you abandon all goals or desires for your life. Not at all. Instead, we encourage you to gain clarity on what you truly want and maintain a sense of expectancy. For a more detailed explanation of this distinction, refer to Chapter 4 of our book, "Taming Your Dragons: Making Peace With Your Emotions." In this chapter, we provide some wonderful AMP films that can assist you in shifting your perspective towards expectancy.
In Tim's case, he longed to find love and experience the same joy in life that he had with his family while growing up.
Expectation is about trying to force things to happen. However, if you've been following our work, we want to remind you to
Clearly define what you desire
Align yourself with it
Then take inspired action.
While you await the inspired action, you remain in a state of expectancy, much like a surfer waiting for the next wave. Instead of chasing the wave that has already crashed and feeling upset that you missed it, you patiently anticipate the next wave that inspires you. And that brings us to our fourth key point.
Follow the Path of the Next Inspiring Moment
Once you grant yourself permission to live in the present moment from this point forward, you will become increasingly adept at recognizing the next inspiring moment.
But how can you achieve this? Throughout the film "About Time," there are numerous examples that demonstrate this concept. Pay attention to the characters in the film as they:
• Take pleasure in appreciating the delightful nuances of others.
• Foster love and admiration for all people.
• Embrace the beauty in even the most mundane moments of life.
• Find ways to laugh and bring joy into any situation.
• Celebrate the company of family and friends, regardless of the time or occasion.
• Notice the inherent sweetness that exists in the world around them.
These practices lead us to the fifth and final key lesson imparted by "About Time."
Enjoy the Rhythms and Seasons of Life
Life has the ability to change unexpectedly at any given moment. We all have memories of how swiftly our lives can transform. "About Time" teaches us the value of savoring the various rhythms that come with being alive.
As Tim's Father wisely states,
"Life's a mixed bag, no matter who you are."
So why not embrace these rhythms, which include births, deaths, and new beginnings, and see them as the very essence of the pleasure of being alive?
Tim learns this lesson firsthand when he travels back in time and returns to find that life has shifted in unexpected ways. A key relationship has changed, serving as a poignant reminder to cherish what we have because it can swiftly alter in the blink of an eye. Although Tim possesses the ability to rectify his situation, for us ordinary mortals, it's essential to appreciate life as it is in the present moment.
In summary, "About Time" inspires us to make the most of both time and happiness. It imparts the following teachings:
Live each day as it comes, treating every day as if it were the grand culmination of your extraordinary, ordinary life. As Tim wisely remarks,
"We're all traveling through time together, every day of our lives. All we can do is our best to relish this remarkable ride."
The Top 9 Energetic Resonance Benefits from Watching About Time AMP film
The capacity to embrace and enjoy life regardless of the circumstances.
The delight in recognizing the beauty of every moment, no matter how small.
The joy of appreciating the exquisite details in others.
The reminder to fully immerse oneself in the present moment.
The discovery of finding laughter and humor in every situation.
The ability to use humor as a tool to uplift oneself during challenging days.
The capacity to love and find fulfillment in the simple, everyday moments of life.
The appreciation for the different seasons and phases experienced in one's life.
The gentle reminder of the preciousness and sweetness of being alive.
About Time (2013) is an excellent for anyone seeking to amplify the resonance around a happy life. If you want the benefits of this AMP film, just do The Intention Session (see below) first and watch About Time film in it’s entirety.
The podcast below includes both David and Sue-Anne with a special Alignment Session at the end of it called: “Acceptance – a doorway to peace and happiness.”
I’m confident you’re going to love this film.
Peace Friends,
David
The Intention Session
Getting started on aligning with the movie sessions is easy. All you have to do is review these statements and do the modality at the end. Once you’ve completed these, you’re ready to benefit from any Alignment Movie Process (AMP) movie sessions you choose. This includes any movie referred to in our books and blogs.
Say These Statements Out Loud and Then Do Modalities At The End
I allow the changes in my timing and only integrate what I’m ready to.
I have faith that I’ll receive the benefits I desire.
I’m patient with myself as I make my changes.
I let go of feeling I’m too busy to take the time to read these books and watch these movies
I let go of having to understand how these Alignment Process movie sessions work, allowing me to get the full benefits on my terms and in my timing.
Modalities:
Please do all three of the following actions to integrate this intension session. All three activities are a good habit to embrace prior to beginning an AP movie session.
Nod your head up in down as you would when saying yes.
Drink some water
Slow rhythmic breathing through your nose
You’re now ready to watch your AMP film. Cheers!
These are fantastic insights that can serve so many people! Thank you for what you do!