How do you spend your time? Are you constantly planning and worrying about the future? Do you keep looking back over the past and wishing you had done things differently? Both lead nowhere. The only freedom you have is in the present moment and that moment is filled with possibilities.
The past is a done deal
You know what you did or didn’t do. You know the things you said or didn’t say. Nevertheless, it’s over. There is no going back to change it. The only way you can “fix it” is to change your perspective of the past in the present moment.
For instance, I made a choice forty years ago that my daughter is still mad at me for. Do you have any idea what it feels like to have someone angry with you for something you have absolutely no power to change? And what about her? How is that anger affecting her daily life? Is it making her happier, more productive, and more content? I don’t think so. We cannot change the emotions surrounding that long-ago choice anywhere but in the present moment. What do you need to release about your past? Who do you need to forgive? Yourself?
The future can take many directions
The future exists only in the imagination. Depending on how we envision our future it can be exceedingly rewarding, a major disaster or somewhere in between.
As an example, I’m in my early 80’s. That’s not exactly an age when you start making really long-range plans. However, I do plan to be around a long time so what am I going to do to feel productive? My imagination can take me many places – will I stay healthy, what is my financial situation, what unseen circumstance is lying in wait? What opportunities will I miss? What opportunities will I take? Focusing on the future is a waste of time. We cannot predict the future. The only place we can make a change is in the present moment.
The present moment holds great freedom
What I have is now, this moment. What I do with this moment is totally within my power. I can be happy or sad. I can worry or I can be peaceful. I can immerse myself in nature, or I can go do something creative. I can hang out with people I like or be with people who make me angry. My choice. My now. Your choice. Your now.
We can choose from an infinite range of possibilities
As a metaphysician, I believe that our thoughts create our reality. That makes our choice of what to think in the present moment of vital importance. Because we can choose from an infinite range of possibilities, we get to make choices that affect the quality of this moment, this “now” of our life.
We can let go of any perceived past slights. Forgiveness is a powerful healer. Let go of your past. Allow yourself to simply be.
We can worry about the future or we can imagine what we’d like it to be. We can trust or we can try to control. We can expect the worst or we can expect the best.
The best place to be is in present moment awareness
“The Master allows things to happen.
She shapes events as they come.
She steps out of the way
and lets the Tao speak for itself.”
Tao Te Ching, tr., Stephen Mitchell
Can you imagine yourself living that way? You would simply savor every moment, allow things to happen and trust whatever choice you make will be the right one.
Find your balance
Abraham-Hicks says, “There are no choices that are really a detour that will take you far from where you’re wanting to be — because your Inner Being is always guiding you to the next, and the next, and the next. So don’t be concerned that you may make a fatal choice, because there aren’t any of those. You are always finding your balance. It’s a never ending process.”
I like the idea of decisions being about finding my balance. That lets me exist in the present moment and when a new circumstance presents itself, I simply notice where I am and if a course correction is necessary in that moment I make it. One simple choice made in the present moment is all it takes.
How do you cultivate present awareness?
Pay attention. Pay attention to what you are thinking. Are you worrying? Are you planning? Are you angry, sad, mad, or glad? Decide if that is how you want to feel. If it is not, then change it.
You have the power. You are in charge of each moment. Spend time sitting still and observing. Look around the home you have created. Feel how it nourishes you. Change it if it does not. Spend time thinking about how you feel about your work, your relationships, and your life. Make any changes that seem appropriate. Notice the positive aspects of your life and look for more of them to appear. Stop projecting into the future. Stop beating yourself up for the past. Put your awareness in the present moment and savor the infinite possibilities that abide there.
To Sing a Deeper Song Consider
How To Set Values Boundaries That Express Your Self Love
6 Ways to Use Open Time for Inner Work
How to Fill the Hole of Loneliness
How Do You Measure The Quiet Progress Of Personal Change?
Letting Go is the Hardest Part of Change
