Last week’s post was just a little present moment reminder. This week I am diving in deeper, because when it comes to being present, and living in the now, there is much to consider.
The word mindfulness gets thrown around these days like talking about the weather. Ok, well maybe not that often, but it’s definitely become more of a mainstream topic in recent years. A huge part of being more mindful is having a certain level of awareness on a moment-to-moment basis in regards to your thoughts, emotions and experiences.
I often say, “Be here now,” and I’m sure most of you have heard the saying, “There is no time like the present.” Simply put, now is the only thing that is real, and when we don’t take the time to live in the now, we are missing out greatly.
In fact, no matter what time it is, it is always now. Yesterday at this time it was now. Right now, as you’re reading this, it is now, in two minutes it will be now again, and tomorrow at this time it will be now too. Did I lose you? I hope not…stay with me here.
The past and future solely exist in the mind, yet it’s second nature for most people to live there. Many people spend endless amounts of time dwelling on past actions and/or inactions, and on the flip side, spend equal amounts of time thinking stress producing thoughts about the future. In doing so, the present moment is often lost. The past is done. It cannot be changed no matter how much we think about it, and the future is just an illusion of what may or may not happen.
Regret (over past circumstances), and worry (about the future), are completely wasted emotions. There literally is no purpose for either, other than causing pain and suffering.
When we rehash the past and spend time thinking about how we could’ve done things differently, what’s the point? You can’t go back in time, unless you’re Marty McFly, in which case you can stop reading right now. But in all seriousness, if you find yourself thinking something like, If I had just done _____ differently, then it’s time to start noticing how much time you spend there. Some reflection is ok, but thinking about past events and conversations over and over and over again will do no good. You can’t change the past. End of story. Time to drop it if you want to start feeling better.
Thoughts about the future can be even sneakier. People often get tangled in the worry web. If X happens, then I’ll do Y. If I do Y, then maybe Z will be the outcome, and if Z is the outcome, I’ll feel insert emotion here. I know, I know, you’re just trying to prepare yourself, but guess what? Life is unpredictable. No matter how much you prepare, or think you may know exactly how to plan for a particular outcome, life just doesn’t work that way. Sure, there are some things we can control, but beyond simple stuff like buying food for a dinner party, getting school supplies for your kids’ first day of school, and booking a vacation, there’s a lot more that cannot be controlled by obsessing about the future. Going over every possible scenario will not help you. It will once again, only make you miss out on the now.
When you find yourself stuck in worry and regret, ask yourself, “What can I do in this moment to ease my confusion and suffering?” The answer is almost always to focus on the now. Right now, in this moment as you read this sentence, all is well. The more you practice this, the easier it gets to be more aware. Awareness leads to a higher level of consciousness, which in turn, leads to more peace within.
That’s it; that’s all I got for ya!
Happy day everyone!
