Experiencing anxiety about something coming up tomorrow or next week? Carrying thoughts about what someone said ten minutes or ten years ago?
While our bodies may only be in one place at a time, our thoughts may be almost anywhere. How often are your thoughts and attention on the present moment?
When not in the present moment, thinking creates feelings that lead to actions inconsistent with the desired results.
Let’s say Tom feels angry about a recent car accident. He brings that frustration to an office meeting. He does not fully listen and engage in the dialogue about project plans. His focus on a past moment causes him to miss the present moment (which may lead to later frustration when he reconsiders the decisions made when he was not fully present).
Ever catch yourself thinking about something that just happened, or something coming up? When stuck in the past or contemplating the future, you cannot be fully present for the moment now. This may mean bringing the energy of feelings unrelated to the current situation.
Three questions to help you get you back to the present: 1) Where am I? 2) What am I experiencing? 3) Am I experiencing what is really happening in this moment?
You choose what you carry wherever you go. Be mindful of which thoughts and feelings you pack with you and what you wish to leave behind.
What will you choose to carry today? Does it support who you want to be in the moment?
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