LIVING NOW
a rather simple concept
but near IMPOSSIBLE to do - for many!
In light of tomorrow I thought I'd share this today…
If you are DEPRESSED you are probably living in YESTERDAY.
If you are ANXIOUS you are probably living in TOMORROW.
If you are AT PEACE you are probably living in the PRESENT.
Where are you LIVING?
That's it in a nutshell - but, if you've got a moment, NOW, let's go a little deeper, shall we.
Okay, here goes…
Often when we think about the past we conjure up sadness, regret, should-haves, and sorrow.
We struggle with what we should have, or could have, done in a situation that is now long gone.
Yet, we rehash, revisit, and often replay a scene with no hope of changing a thing… if only.
Then, we fast forward and head into the future where we further analyze and wonder about the what ifs - if I do it this way what will happen? If only… and so it continues.
In the meantime, here we are nicely planted in the PRESENT, well, at least our body is, while our mind is busy touring the past and lining up to get into the future.
We fail to enjoy the ride we are on right NOW.
…………………………...
I'm going to play out a little scenario…
Two woman head out to a Garden Show. It's a last minute invite for one of them - the younger. She's happy to be invited and really wants to go… but, she's anxious, doesn't do so well in crowds, or in new situations - so she thinks.
The young woman is busy thinking about all that will happen at the Garden Show. She’s conjuring up all sorts of stuff that hasn't even happened, that might never happen, but there it is, all running through her head like wild horses not willing to be wrangled; her anxiety mounts.
The older woman listens, while en route to the show, and wonders what would happen if her friend stopped thinking about the future and enjoyed the NOW: the view out the window, the music in the car, starting up a chat that would keep their collective thoughts in the PRESENT.
Once inside the Garden Show what is noticeable, to the older woman, is that the younger is now animated and happy. What she further notices is how the younger gal is busy enjoying all that is going on around her because she is PRESENT and engaged in the NOW. All anxiousness is gone as it does not exist when living in the NOW.
LIVING NOW takes practice.
Given the complexity of our brain we often think by revisiting the past or jumping ahead to the future we will somehow impact the PRESENT. Sadly, this is true - the impact is profound and when the day is over the regret begins, again.
The way to impact the PRESENT is by LIVING NOW.
RIGHT NOW.
…………………….
As you reach for that coffee, stop and savour it, smell the full body - have you let it go cold because of distractions. Are they present distractions? Or have you drifted to another time - one gone; one yet to come.
My coffee is cold, but that’s because writing this post was occupying my NOW… and NOW, I’ll pour a fresh one. I’ll savour it.
And then, I’ll head out the door and get organized for tomorrow!
(Tomorrow’s a special day… SIWC starts, and I’m going)
Yes - we can get excited about tomorrow, so long as we don’t live there before it arrives!
Do you LIVE NOW, or are you stuck in another time?
Cheers, Jenny
