In this fast moving, multi-tasking world, we often lose touch with the
present moment. We constantly seem to rush ahead of ourselves with ‘What’s
happening next?’ at the forefront of our minds; always on the front foot, we organize ourselves around a constant readiness to ‘do’.
As well as using up a vast amount of energy, there’s
something fundamentally unsettling about this state of constantly being ready
to do the next thing. It doesn’t allow
us to stay long enough in the present to fully engage with it and take in
the benefits. The truth is, we can
plan for the future and reflect on the past, but life itself happens in the present.
We’d do well to remember that the present is where both our
past and our future come from!
Paying attention to the present draws us out of the trance states of the mind and
away from the scary movies we create inside our heads. This enables us to
experience ourselves in relationship to the simple ‘here and now’. Just being in the ‘here and now’ is likely
to make us feel more grounded and
balanced because it engages the whole of us. As our senses come into play
we begin to notice the sounds, sights, tastes and feel of the space around us
which has the effect of anchoring us in the real world and gives us a welcome
breathing space from the rabbit warrens of the mind.
Even more important, as well as integrating us, the present moment gives us choices:
noticing the feel of the sun warming our face or the sound of nearby birdsong
allows us to enjoy it, and noticing unhelpful thoughts as patterns enables us
to choose to let them go rather than be ridden by them.
Becoming aware of feelings of sadness, anger or happiness
gives us an opportunity to engage with
and honor our emotions. Noticing if we are tired, hungry, thirsty, or
uncomfortable makes it possible for us
to get our needs met appropriately.
And there’s another almost magical thing about the present
moment – it’s the one place we can pause
and catch our breath from mind chatter and the constant readiness ‘to do’.
Eastern philosophy has long known the value of a balance between doing and being. The spaces in-between
‘doing’ are every bit as important – we need these precious pockets of time to
process, assimilate, grow and heal.
And remember, this present moment, right now, will never
happen again in exactly the same way – it’s unique.
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