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Have you ever had those moments where, in a single instance, everything just felt right?
I’m not necessarily talking about love, though many of us hope for those singular romantic moments in time. A feeling I’m referring to is that of living in your authentic space. It’s a feeling I can’t quite describe, but it happens on occasion.
This morning I had my usual cup of coffee with a dash of cinnamon (yes, I’m feeling the fall vibes!) and sat down to begin work on some projects. I put on my Jezabels music playlist and began photo editing when I looked out my window and the sun was coming up, coloring the sky in such a beautiful warmth. The temperature was cool enough to feel a slight breeze from my window and in that one moment; I felt in alignment. Everything about me and who I am just suddenly aligned. It felt warm, centered, and authentic. Weird, right?
Just something as simple as this made me feel aligned. I didn’t have to take 20 minutes meditating to ground myself into earth or repeat a specific mantra of the day to feel aligned with the universe. What I did was to be present.
Being present has been a focal point in conversation surrounding surviving ascension energies and in spiritual studies in general.
It’s something that I find a lot of people glide over, but I think it’s the most pivotal thing we can do each day for ourselves. Our society has always hammered into us to focus on the future; “we need to save up for that house..” “Where are you going to go to college?” “What are your plans for next summer?”… the list goes on. While I am totally on board for being a strategic planner and being proactive, I find that many of us get intoxicated in the future that we lose the now.
All of this sounds like common sense, but think about it- how often do you think about the future? I even mean thinking about what you’re going to have for lunch 3 hours from now. If you really take note of this, you really start to realize how future driven we really are each day. That’s just future thinking. Let’s think about how much we dwell on the past daily? See what I mean.
“Being Present means being fully conscious of the moment and free from the noise of internal dialogue. It’s often associated with feelings of stillness and peace. Sensations often seem sharper. Those who inhabit this present state frequently report a sense of experiencing life “as it really is” and being “free from delusion”. “– Manhattan Mental Health Counseling
However, being present can be hard.
I get it. Sometimes thinking about that exciting future trip you’re going to take or that hilarious time you and your best friends had drinking and putting on face masks a few years back is how you’re to get through all the chaotic stuff going on in the “now”. The thing is you’re missing out. No matter how out-of-control your day is, no matter how stressful your job or life becomes, the act of being present can become an oasis and it can change your life. Not only this, but you are missing out on LIFE. And that’s why we’re here, isn’t it? To LIVE?
We don’t know the future, and we can’t travel back in time (yet, anyway). What we can do is live at this moment. Right now. As I’m writing this and finishing my coffee. So, how do you do this?
People say it’s simple, but I have to disagree.
Since we’ve been programmed with this “forward-thinking” “past-dwelling” mindset, it will take time to get into the habit, but with patience and a kind heart to yourself, you can get there. You don’t have to be a yogi or master meditation (although doing any of those activities is great!). Simple moments like my morning of having a cup of coffee and taking a couple minutes to just be with yourself and acknowledge what’s happening around you is being present. Listening to your own heartbeat is being present. Sitting outside and listening to the birds or feeling the wind blow in your hair is being present. The point is to be in the now, and most importantly, be with yourself. Believe it or not- you do have some incredible inner wisdom stored in that soul of yours.
Maybe the more often you’re present, you’ll have those special moments like I had this morning where you feel like your true authentic self and aligned with the vast and remarkable universe surrounding us.
“Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves – slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future. Live the actual moment. Only this moment is life.” -Thich Nhat Hanh
