Far too much of the time I fail to focus on the here and now. Instead, I think about what has been and fear what is in store for me. Master is always telling me, that I need to live in the moment and to embrace the experiences that are happening now. Of course that is easy to say. Easy too to do when the moment you are living in is a happy one, a fun one. But what about when you are dealing with the fears and anxieties of others. How then do you maintain the focus on yourself and on living in the here and now?
I have been looking at mindfulness as a way of managing my stresses at work, particularly given the other things that are going on in my life. This is about being conscious, about being aware in the present moment of your senses. About being able to feel your feet on the ground, your hands on the keyboard and not imagining yourself somewhere you are not. It is also about not dwelling on the past or being anxious about the future.
Mindfulness doesn’t mean not planning or setting goals. We need to be able to do that – I certainly need to plan for when I move from my marital home, I also need to recognise the realities that will come with my father’s death when it does come. But mindfulness tells us to enjoy the moments as they unfold, and if enjoy is not the right word then at least appreciate the good parts that go with the more challenging times.
I am going to try hard to focus on these messages. to let go of the baggage of my past and to trust the future, whatever it holds and however difficult that is to do.