Here is a Real Place
It is super difficult to stay physically in the same place as your mind. My brain is a constant traveler to the past to check out what happened before and an astro-flyer trying to determine what the future holds. Both of these are not always productive because the past is over and the future hasn’t even occurred, so it belongs to the great unknown. The place I really need to be is the here and now. The best guess about the length of time that represents this moment is about 2 to 3 seconds. It’s not much to work with. The good part is that it is continually recycling and creating more moments. You can be here for a long time if you know how.
The Power of Here
At the starting point for navigating an unexpected life change, the easiest option is usually seized. New ventures involve a level of worry and fear and when emotions are intense, it is difficult to feel inclined to add to the concern. But there are some tactics that make transitions flow more smoothly. It is beneficial to become gentler. Being kind to oneself includes remembering that a new level of support might be useful. Running with scissors often ends up with the need for bandages. But a quick check to see if someone can hold a hand for a moment helps to calm the heart. When the worry grows it creates its own issues. Turning down the anxiety meter by praying, meditating, getting alone to think or any other quieting activity refocuses the breath. Getting the right amount of oxygen is critical to making great decisions.
Here and Now
Much of life is counter intuitive. When humans feel trapped, it is the best time to remember that things are almost never what they seem. It is easy to jump to conclusions with the meagerest amount of information. Pausing and checking for clarity resists the avoidable remnants of uncertainty from providing the equivalent of fast food in thought. The best advice is felt in the heart, which has the capacity to create better solutions than the head that only has the past to draw from. Our core values are stored in the beating heart of each of us. They can empower us to understand situations based on the emotions they create. Remember, the truth will set you free means that there are multiple doors that open to find the best way forward.
Be Where you Are
Find a go-to value to cling to for every situation. When you create your own life preserver, even changing currents don’t stand a chance of crashing over you. If your life rotates around your feeling of gratitude for each moment, you will never be out of place. Embracing everything that occurs in life is simple because everything belongs. Releasing the grip on doing the right thing, choosing the correct way or finding the only path gives way to a gentle hug for your own humanity. Fears subside because they don’t scare; worry diminishes because it has no reason to continue. Look for the opening that leads to a celebration of what is going as it is meant to go. Hold onto that map and start sailing with confidence.
Do you feel like you have a stranglehold on life? Is it hard to see what to do when you don’t know where you are? What would you be like if you lived from moment to moment sometimes?
