How much of your life do you think you actually spend in the present moment? Not drifting back to moments from the past, or worrying about what the future is going to bring?
It’s amazing how much time we spend rehashing the past or thinking ahead to the future, when the only moment we actually own is the one we are inhabiting right now. Most of the time we lose the present moment, our very alive-ness, because we are lost in the confines of our own head. Or our phone. Or the TV.
It is especially tempting to be stuck in future mode this spring. We are constantly thinking about when things will return back to normal, and what that new normal will be like. We are thinking in circles about when Phase II begins, whether it is safe to go to the store or to see friends, or to go on your much-anticipate summer vacation. We are wondering when we will return to work, if there will be a job ready for us to return to, and when it is safe to go see elderly family members. All that thinking forward doesn’t actually solve any problems, and just creates more anxiety. We can’t control the future. We can’t change the past. All we have is right now.
What is happening to you RIGHT NOW? How does your body feel- right now? Are you aware of the breath going in and out of your lungs? What sounds do you hear around you? What do you smell? How are you doing- right now?
Take a few deep, intentional breaths and remind yourself that this moment is your life. You can make what you want of it. But you can’t borrow from the future or rewrite history. Tomorrow’s history is today. What are you going to remember?
JoyPlusGrace 