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“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.”

~~~ Buddha

As usual, it was certain thought processes during the week that prompted today’s article. There were several times this past week that I found myself dwelling on all those years that I was a smoker and realizing the immense harm that giving in to that addiction has caused. Along with those thoughts came the further thoughts of wondering what the future holds now that the results of all that abuse of my lungs is taking its toll.

I soon began to realize how all that dwelling in the past and worrying about the future was affecting me — it wasn’t a positive feeling at all. It was the complete opposite. I was forgetting that our minds can function much better when we remember that each moment of our lives is filled with richness and a kind of magic.

“The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.”

~~~ Buddha

I was forgetting that the passage from one second to the next is a miracle in its own right and is worthy of being savored. I was doing what we all do — and that is to let our minds wander away from the present. It seems, for some reason, that we prefer the unchangeable nature of the past and/or the uncertain character of the future. (Go figure!)

Don’t misunderstand — I don’t believe there’s anything wrong with revisiting our personal histories — there are lessons to be learned by doing so. I also don’t believe there’s anything faulty about dreaming about what we hope will occur as time passes. In fact, (although there may be some who will disagree) I believe that to live a truly balanced life we must simultaneously embody a past, present, and future self.

It is only when our ability to exist purely in the moment is lost, and the joys immediately in front of us are overshadowed by the joys or woes of the past and future, that we must reestablish our connection to the present. Living in the moment empowers us to discover and appreciate what is beautiful about this unique moment in time.

“You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment.”

~~~ Henry David Thoreau

We all have so much going on in our lives. We live in a complex world. This often forces us to focus on the big picture, thereby causing us to miss those little details that make up that picture. Those precious individual moments get lost in all the clutter of the burdens, tasks, and responsibilities we face every day. The natural result of all that clutter is that we become frustrated. So what do we do? We tend to spend our time recalling the blissful times of our past — or we dream about the blessings we wish for the future.

Believe it or not — that’s your choice — but even though life can be tough at times, those individual moments that get by us unnoticed have the potential to delight us. When we can recognize our moments we’ll become more sensitive to them — we’ll learn to relish them and then, just as easily, we’ll let them go.

Grounding ourselves in the present is simply a matter of practice. The best advice I can give to learn to do this is to spend some time every day in meditation. It doesn’t have to be for long periods of time — just ten or fifteen minutes where you focus on your breath and let the thoughts that intrude slip through your mind like the clouds floating in the sky. As they pass by, bring your focus back to your breath. The Buddhists call this their practice. Meditation is an excellent way to practice living in the present moment.

Oprah Winfrey sums it up for us with this quote …

“Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.”

~~~ Oprah Winfrey

Namaste!

And, as I always say in closing — remember these words …

You are the most precious gift you can give yourself. Every day look in the mirror and say, “I’m available to more good than I have experienced, realized or imagined ever before in my life!” Do this every day while you look into your own eyes.

You are special — and you are loved. You are the greatest gift you can be.

Shanti … (A sanscrit word meaning, “Let there be Peace. Peace, beautiful Peace. Peace within, Peace without. Peace in this world. Peace for all beings.”)

“If we have no peace,
it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.”

~~~ Mother Theresa (1910-1997)

~~~ DBL-R

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As you know, I do practice sitting, silent meditation every day in my life. Recently, I did a podcast about this for another blog that I read. Take a moment and click this link to hear what meditation means to me and what it does for me.

My Meditation Podcast

In my meditation I use what I truly believe is the most powerful personal growth and mind development tool on earth. It’s the The Holosync Solution. I knew that meditation was a vital element to nurturing my soul — to opening myself to the universe — and this tool has allowed me to achieve and receive the benefits of deep, long-term meditation — and to achieve it much more quickly. If you’re having trouble “getting meditation to work for you” – then the The Holosync Solution is what you’re looking for.

Regular, daily meditation can give you …

(1) Increased intelligence and creativity.
(2) Lower stress levels — and with that — increased ability to handle whatever the world tosses your way.
(3) New levels of self-awareness and inner peace.
(4) The healing of emotional issues at the deepest levels —

— it’s definitely worth taking the time for this powerful practice every day.

With a One-Year 100% Iron-Clad Guarantee, you can now do so with no risk whatsoever — just click any of the links that say … The Holosync Solution

— The Holosync Solution

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[tags]peace, inner self, The Secret, Law of Attraction, dreams, spiritual energy, action, value, inner balance, enlightenment, destiny, manifestation, meditation, patience, gratitude, tolerance, acceptance, body balance, life cycle, beginnings, endings, positive thinking, ego, silence, consciousness, staying grounded, cycle of life[/tags]