Stop what you're doing! and focus on the moment.
Good Morning
Good Afternoon
and
Good Evening
When we walk to the edge of all the light we have and take the step into
the darkness of the unknown, we must believe that one of two things will
happen: there will be something solid for us to stand on or we will be
taught to fly.
It is very important in our lives that we maintain the ability to bring
forth the spirit, the balance and the power necessary to accomplish our
goals while expanding substantially the overall quality by which we
experience our lives and our work. Along with my readings, I try to
provide everyone with the skills to integrate the spirit (vision), the
mind (intellect) and the body (action) to such a high level that work
becomes play and conflicts turn into magical opportunities for growth
and excellence.
Many of you know that I live with the illness, Lupus - for which there
is no cure. I have learned to value each individual day, because for me,
there may not be a tomorrow. I don't think that I did a very good job of
that in the past. But I wanted to share my thinking with you today, and
teach you, if I may, to focus on the moment.
When our schedules are hectic and jam-packed, it’s all too easy to coast
through the moments of our lives without being fully aware of them.
Perhaps, this might seem unimportant when work is keeping us hopping and
there are bills to pay.
Our plates are full and, yet, what we’re doing—how we’re managing our
time is working—so the tendency might be to just accept it. What keeps
us going is vitally important; however, so is each moment of our lives.
We take them for granted only because we believe we will have many more
to relish. However, what if we don’t? What if you don’t?
Many have discoursed on being conscious and aware as we go through the
moments of our lives. It’s been said in many ways through the ages: Stop
and smell the flowers, Time is a gift, Live as though you will live
forever but could die tomorrow, and stay focused in the moment. Each of
these and other quotations offer the same message essentially:
appreciate each moment.
It can be difficult when faced with the realities of today: snipers, war
(yes, we really and truly are at war—even though it’s not occurring on
American soil. Or is it?) Incidents of anthrax continue to crop up and
some—ones not tied to government entities or the U.S. Postal Service—are
resulting in death. We all know we must go on with our lives, but we
feel uncertain after the warnings by Attorney General John Ashcroft to
prepare ourselves for future terrorist attacks against our nation.
With all that is happening, the stories the media is broadcasting, and
realities we know of but don’t necessarily see and feel, it’s easy to
find oneself disconcerted. What’s more, they make it easy to not know
how to proceed. But we don’t want to live our lives in limbo—we cannot
live our lives in limbo. Life should be lived with gusto…we still have
much to accomplish. The current state of affairs may infringe upon our
usual spontaneity and time lines, but it shouldn’t squash them.
Ways To Focus on the Moment
No matter what life is handing you, all you have is the moment, the
present. Stay focused on it and in it. Live it to the fullest, live it
in a way that would cause you no regrets if you learned it was to be
your last on earth.
1. Be Still. When life is stressful, hectic, or seemingly unmanageable,
just stop. Be still and take yourself out of the craziness. Retreat into
your inner world for guidance. During these times, it might be your only
opportunity for peace and balance. If what you seek without or around
you cannot be found, find it within.
2. Use Your Senses. The best way to take yourself out of the outer world
that is no longer making sense or working for you, is to experience life
(your life) through your senses. Open your eyes to the beauty around
you, lose yourself in lovely music, exchange words with positive people
in your life, enjoy a sensational feast with someone or many you care
for, and savor the smells and the tastes in your life. You might even
decide to go for broke .... touch someone and mean it!
3. Keep Being You. Respect the warning to be cautious and aware during
your daily routines, but continue with your plans and goals—the things
that have meaning for you. Work toward them in a way that does not put
you out on a limb or cause undue risk, but don’t abandon them. Having a
purpose and goals gives direction to our lives. Take the steps to
realize your goals, perhaps, on the slow track for now, but just don’t
let go of them.
4. Extend Yourself. Do more. Be more. Now is the perfect time to get
involved—with your neighbors, the charity you’ve been researching,
building deeper bonds of friendship, and appreciating the people in your
life fully. When faced with the thought of catastrophe occurring at any
time, panic and fear are only two options. Another one is to take the
focus off of the unthinkable. Focus on appreciating what is and what
could be in your life.
5. Claim a Perspective That Empowers and Enables You. The one you decide
on isn’t so important. What matters is that it works for you. As always,
if what you’re doing isn’t working, try something else—and fast. If
you’re sitting at home out of the mix, worrying about opening your mail
or going to work the next day, you need a different perspective. Adopt a
winning one. Your life is always what you make it during glorious times
as well as the challenging ones. Keep living, and keep striving to be
your best you.
6. Keep Going. Feel what you feel—sadness, fear, uncertainty—but keep
moving forward. Go to work, do household chores, visit with family and
friends in person or via telephone or e-mail, take out the trash, buy
that lovely suit that caught your eye, try that new recipe, extend and
accept invitations, drastically change your hair color or style, or any
other option in an endless list of possibilities. Just keep going and,
most importantly, enjoy the moments.
This is your life. You owe it to yourself to live it. It may seem
different and uncertain now. However, the external changes to our lives
are just that—external. There are entire schools of thought that speak
in-depth on the importance of one’s internal life … of unshakeable
serenity, peace, and balance. If you really think about it, many times
our internal (or inner) lives and strengths are all that matter when the
world around us is unsure and changing.
Be yourself and let your inner light shine. I mean, really be
yourself—for some, in a way and fashion you’ve never dared before. You
have so much more to gain than you could ever lose. Remember: No
regrets!
