Staying present in this frantic world to find calm

Stay in the present moment

There is no rule that says you have to be doing a million things at once. Nowhere in the non-existent life handbook is there a statement that tells you to worry about everything that has yet to happen.

One of my favourite quotes says something like, “Worrying is using your imagination to create the worst-case scenario.” I don’t remember who said it, but those words have really stuck with me. If I can simply stay focused on what’s happening right now, I don’t have to be concerned with tomorrow just yet. I don’t have to try to manipulate the future. I can simply observe my current situation, and engage with it in a way that is the best for my well-being.

Staying in the present moment gives us so much freedom, so much space to be who we really are. If you’re driving, just drive. Don’t get caught up in what you’ll say once you get to your destination. Simply drive. Feel the vibration of the seat. Appreciate the texture of the steering wheel. Observe what kinds of cars are around you. Feel the pressure of the pedal. Roll down the windows and feel the wind against your skin. It’ll be the best drive you’ve ever had.

Don’t analyse the situation

What happens if you’re driving and all of a sudden you run into ridiculous traffic? You check the sat nav and realise that you’re definitely going to be late. You begin to get frustrated. You wonder if there’s a way around the traffic. Alternate routes?  Getting out of the car and running down the motorway? If you’re anything like me, you’re already getting tense just reading this. What happened in this example? Imagine you got caught up in a result that hadn’t even happened yet. You haven’t made it to the destination yet, there is no reason to be upset or worried about what people will think once you’ve arrived late. At the present moment, you’re simply sitting in the car. Once you begin to analyse the situation, you’re creating an imaginary outcome.

What if you could simply sit in the car? What if you could wait to find out what will happen at your destination instead of predicting the horror of being late?

Accept that there is only so much that can be done.

You can’t control everything. You can’t go back in time and change anything. These are not bad things. These things help you experience life in a full and uplifted way. If you can simply accept that the moment is what it is, and this is neither good nor bad, you eliminate so much stress and worry from your experience. You free up your time and energy to participate in life. You can learn to focus on the very moment in front of you. Stop judging yourself. Stop limiting yourself. You can’t do it all, and this is a great gift.

More next week.

Carolex

Mindfulness Practitioner and Self Care coach