The Gift of the Present

Much has been said about "staying in the moment," but most of us can benefit from frequent reminders. We may even wonder HOW to "open" (or receive) the "gift" of the present. Let’s start with a quote from contemporary spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle’s modern classic, The Power of Now:

"Unease, anxiety, tension, stress, worry —all forms of fear— are caused by too much future, and not enough presence. Guilt, regret, resentment, grievances, sadness, bitterness, and all forms of non-forgiveness are caused by too much past, and not enough presence. Time is the cause of your suffering [and] your problems."

If we think about it, we realize that we have always coped with what is happening in the Now. One way or another, we make it through to the other side. After all, we’re still here.

The beautiful TRUTH is that when we are fully conscious and fully present in each moment, we discover we can cope very well in the Now. The reason we haven’t always coped well is that we’ve rarely actually been fully present in the Now of any given situation. When we are angry or fearful, it’s virtually always fueled—at least partially—by something that has happened in our past. Rarely does any single situation merit the measure of fear or anger or any particular pain we may evoke. Instead, our reactions are cumulative. Typically, in any given moment, we are either lamenting (or missing) the past, or we are anticipating the future – either with hope or concern. This preoccupation with what is in our minds, rather than with what is in the Now, causes us to respond out of balance.

We do not have to live this way. We can Stop. Right. Now.

If we drop our fears and concerns, if we stay present in the moment, we discover that we can actually ENJOY the vast majority of "moments." It doesn’t matter what we’re doing; we can find pleasure in all but a rare few situations. We need only choose to do so. Do you doubt this? When we’re driving, we can delight in the scenery; the trees, the sky—has there ever been anything more lovely? Put simply, we can LOOK. Or, we can LISTEN; to the birds, to the music floating through the speakers in our cars. Even traffic makes a melody. When we wash… be it dishes, or our bodies… we can take pleasure in the water, the scent of the soap. We can delight in cleansing.

Where are YOU Right Now? Look and Listen. Feel and BE.

Beautiful sights, harmonious sounds, softness to touch… wondrous gifts surround us at all times, in all places. We need only give them our attention to RECEIVE. Life is a game if we PLAY it; and the more we play Notice the Now!, the more joy we will experience. Delicious PEACE will find its way into our hearts; our minds will at last BE STILL; and torment will fade away… as if it never was.

Keep it fun.

All is well.