What percentage of the day do you think you spend being present? A few weeks ago, I would have said less than 10% of the day. I was a person who was constantly thinking about the future and it manifested as constant anticipatory anxiety. And when I wasn’t thinking about what was to come, I was dwelling on embarrassing events in my past that made my hands start to sweat. But living in constant stress or depression is not how I want to live, and I assume that’s true for most people. Wouldn’t it be real neat if there was a cure to anxiety, fear, depression, and shame? Heh.
A few weeks ago, I had an epiphany. I don’t know what sparked it, but I was out in nature and it just struck me. The MOMENT is the medicine to our emotional ailments. Think about it: how many of our unpleasant emotions that we experience during the day are actually about the current moment? Most of them are left over from seconds or even years ago. Some of them haven’t even happened yet! And still, we allow our existences to be ruled by them.
What if we embraced this model of reality: The only moment that is REAL is the current moment. Ok, I know it sounds crazy, but hear me out. What’s the danger in leaving the past in the past and the future in the future? If we released those shameful moments that still have a grip on our souls and decided that they never happened? Or if it feels better, acknowledged that it did happen, but to a different version of ourselves? I like to embrace a combination of the two. I subscribe to the idea of the quantum field, where there are infinite timelines; thus, I am in a different timeline than the old version of me who experienced a particularly traumatizing event. In the same way, we can approach the future. What hasn’t happened yet simply does not exist. The only moment in which we hold power is the current moment. In fact, you could even say that, when we are present, we possess MAGIC.
If this speaks to you (and I hope it does), try spending a little more time in the moment each day. When you notice stress, sadness, anger, or fear slipping in, it’s a pretty clear sign that you are hanging out in the past or the future. It’s not always the case; sometimes the present moment doesn’t feel so good, but it’s important to experience it all the same. I, for one, would rather feel and let the emotions pass with the moment, than fail to acknowledge them as they occur and be held prisoner to the past.
Here’s the real beauty of the moment: that’s where we can find the most joy, love, and gratitude. These experiences thrive in the present, and to vibrate at the same frequency, so must you. Let this be your call to action: embrace the moment, find joy in the now, and watch your magic GROW.
I feel inspired to allow the moment to flow through me no matter how uncomfortable or big the feeling may be and to catch myself if I am in the past or future. I had a conversation yesterday that started from a place out of fear of the future and I am realizing that’s why it didn’t go so well. If I had stayed in the present and addressed the situation from that moment I can see how different it may have gone. Definitely a beautiful lesson learned. Thank you for your words of wisdom.