so much time either regretting the things that have happened or
dreading what might come, that we are often apt to neglect this
particular moment entirely. And actually, right now is the only
moment we have. A moment ago, for instance, you clicked on the
link to open this message. That moment is already gone and there is
nothing you can do to get it back. And before you finish this
sentence you will be in the future. In actuality, the only
moment you can ever know is RIGHT NOW. This is the one that counts.
This is your blessed moment.
At this moment your physical body is probably resting in a
comfortable chair or at your desk. The conscious and subconscious
mind are in turn reading and digesting these words. But since the
subconscious mind doesn't understand time, it's not paying any
attention to the time you are taking to read this.
That's because time is really nothing more than a mental construct
we use for moving things through space. Our subconscious mind
knows nothing about it, doesn't understand it, and won't comply
with it. Our subconscious mind knows and understands nothing but
NOW.
The conscious mind, however, considers time to be both real and,
unless trained otherwise, in short supply. It runs to and fro,
from the past to future and back again, stopping rarely to fully
examine the present moment and choosing, instead, to dart from one
scattered thought to the next. While the subconscious stays put in
NOW, the conscious mind is free to scurry about like an unruly
child and unless we teach it to stay put, will do just that. This
unruliness, when pitted against a subconscious that wants to stay
in the moment, can cause a mental battle that leaves us, at the
end of the day, feeling exhausted and tension-filled. Having spent
our days fighting our way through the clutter and debris of our
past and future thinking, it's no wonder we so often feel like life
is passing us by. Since we've been paying so little attention to
it, it really is.
So how do we keep our conscious minds from all this unruly
behavior? The key is in learning to focus fully on what we are
doing in any given moment. By paying attention to NOW. First, we
must decide that no matter what is happening, we will give it our
undivided attention, and then we commit to that decision. We bless
each moment by being fully present in it.
This is not as difficult as it might at first seem, but it does
take practice. By giving the present moment due diligence,
however, you will soon see the results in clearer thinking, greater
originality, and getting more accomplished without any sense of
strain or fatigue. By centering your thinking and emotional energy
in one spot, you'll feel renewed, regenerated and reborn. You will
no longer be living in the past; you will no longer be racing into
the future. You will be living RIGHT NOW, in this precious, eternal
and ever-present moment.
This doesn't mean you cannot plan for the future or remember the
past. It simply means that when you do either, you are fully
conscious of doing so. You willingly venture into past or future
thinking instead of being dragged there by a cluttered mind.
Since time is a mental concept and fully created by you, you can
create as much of it as you need. The universe is never in a hurry,
so why should you be? Just as it did this morning, the sun will
rise on time tomorrow. Look on any calendar to see when the moon is
next scheduled to appear, and you can rest assured it will peek
over the horizon the very moment it is slated to do so. Everything
in this universe, you see, runs with majestic, orderly, quiet
precision. So can you. There is no need to rush. You have all the
time in the world. You only need to retrain your mind to remember
this truth.
To do so, begin by taking a deep breath and then center your entire
mind on this moment. This is usually easy to do for a few seconds,
and then other thoughts start clamoring for your attention. Don't
be concerned. This is normal. As soon as you feel yourself being
pulled away from the present, just gently break away from the
thought pattern that is pulling you away and come back to this
moment. No matter what thoughts may be demanding your attention,
quiet them down, again and again returning to here and now.
Now, throughout the day, whenever you find your thoughts wandering
away from what you are doing at any given moment, gently pull them
back again, just as you did in this mini-meditation. Become fully
aware of what you are doing as you are doing it. If you are washing
dishes, for instance, put your whole mind to it. Notice the silky
feel of the warm, soapy water. Feel the smooth, squeaky cleanness
of each dish as it is washed. Commit yourself wholly to what you
are doing. Be reverent of it. Honor it by giving it your full
attention. At first it may be a bit difficult. You may venture off
into the past or future for several minutes before you realize
you've left the present. You may begin doing other things in your
mind instead of paying attention to what you are doing now. You may
even leave what you are doing physically to go start something
else. When this happens, simply return your full awareness and
your physical being to the moment at hand and imagine that you are
filling this perfect moment and this perfect action with light and
love and peace. By blessing it in this way, you will be training
your mind to honor the sacredness of every single moment and every
single action.
Again, don't worry or chide yourself when your mind wanders. As you
continue with this practice, you will find your mind wandering less
and less, your awareness growing more attuned to the moment you are
in. For now, simply bless the moment and return your attention to
it as quickly as you discover you have wandered.
Today's affirmation:
"Past and present are only in the mind. I am now. I am blessed."
Today's quote:
"If you are waiting for anything in order to live and love without
holding back, then you suffer. Every moment is the most important
moment of your life. No future time is better than now to let down
your guard and love."
-- David Deida
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