Acceptance of the present moment

Have you ever wondered how “successful” people achieved their goals? Have you ever wondered how happy people got so happy? Sure, there is effort involved. Maybe they knew the right people, were raised the right way, had all of the right circumstances… But what about the people who had none of those things? What about people who seemed to achieve against all odds?

Many of them say there was a moment in which they took a leap of faith. Many of them talk about believing in something bigger than themselves. They might talk about it in many different ways, the Universe, God, the law of attraction, because they were driven by some goal for the greater good… whatever it is, it’s something that helps a person focus outside of themselves. They trust in something bigger. They’re driven by something more than just the end result. They know that there are things that are outside of their control that help them find their way.

 Trusting in something bigger than you lets you focus on your tasks. You don’t have to worry about the how. You don’t have to get overwhelmed by the details. You know you’ll be taken care of. You know the work will be worth it. You know the present moment is worth more than just the experience of having it.

 Find beauty in every moment. Even the horrible ones. 

 People take issue with mindfulness sometimes. They wonder why anyone would want to stay present in a painful moment. They want an escape. They want to disengage from things that suck. But mindfulness isn’t about chasing positivity. It’s about experiencing the present moment in all of its glory. Because we learn from everything that happens. We expand our consciousness when we experience more in life - good or bad.

There is beauty in breaking your toe if you’re willing to be open to it. There is beauty in realising that you don’t like a particular thing or a certain person. When you stay in the moment, not in the analysis, you can start to see positivity in the horror. Choose beauty. Choose possibility. Choose to learn. Choose to have an open heart.

Stop labeling everything.  You don’t have to decide what something means in this moment. You don’t have to say whether something is good or bad if you don’t want to. You don’t have to say whether you’re enjoying something or not. You can just allow life to unfold. You can observe. You can watch. You can exist. You can breathe. But you don’t have to label. You can say, “I’m not sure.” You can let something be ambiguous. And you can feel good about the ambiguity.

 Take action if necessary, and then move on. No grudges. 

Some moments will call for you to do something. You’ll be called to react to certain situations. And in that moment, you’ll do the best you can. But when your action is over, when the conversation is over, the meeting is done, the interview has finished, you walked the dog, you cut your hair… when the action is over, let it be done.

Don’t go back. Don’t wish for a do-over. Don’t become frustrated because you wished you would have done it differently. Don’t let someone else tell you you could have been better. You did the best you could. You learned. You were in the moment. You tried. And next time you are called to act, you’ll do it with new knowledge. And that’s all that matters. No grudges. No regret. Acceptance. Only acceptance.

Carole x

Mindfulness Master Practitioner & self care coach