“Live in the NOW” – they say.
Live with your feet planted firmly on the ground in the right here and NOW.
“Live in the NOW” is what they tell us.
Which “NOW” is it they are referring to?
The one where I am hyper-focused on the pain and anguish around me? The NOW where my loved ones are scared, alone and fearful? I know that’s how they are feeling right NOW. I need to at least think of them NOW if I can’t actually BE there, right?
The NOW where little boys are arguing over trivial things that don’t matter – not even to them. They are just bickering to fill the airways with noise. The sound is all around me – is that the NOW I should embrace?
What about the NOW where my brain is running a million miles an hour. The right NOW where I am reminding myself of all the loose ends I have to pick up and hold tight, or else…
“The birthday candles we need, the medical term I have to look up , the bills I have to pay and the deadlines I have to meet!”
How can I be present in the NOW – when the NOW is shattered in a million pieces and spread all over the planet – literally.
STOP! Listen to your breath… breathe…
“In, out, in, out… don’t forget to pick up the cake… in, out in… what about the drug side effects you were supposed to research, out (or was that in?), in, out… does he have a spelling test this week… in, out… I wonder when my hair will be long enough to donate… out, I skipped an in…”
All of a sudden, a little being plops down in my lap, drawing my attention back to THIS NOW.
I am needed right here and NOW.
“Mama, why you crying and breathing so heavy? You OK?”
THIS is where I need to be – with this little human and the others that are now fighting for their own spot in my lap. Wrapping their arms around my neck, showering me with the love and attention I was giving them earlier.
Regardless of which NOW you choose, go there fully and completely. Commit your breath, your thoughts and all your smiles and tears to that NOW!
Let go of the NOWs that involve “stuff”, stress and truly unimportant fluff. Turn your focus to the people in your life with whom you share a past and a future – and enjoy the NOW together.
There is no wrong choice – as long as you give it your all.
Live in the NOW
Live completely
Breathe deeply
Love fully
P.S. If you wonder why I am a bit obsessed with living in the NOW… don’t miss this post – the one that started it all!
The four words that changed me, for the better!
