"Time is an invention. Now is a reality. So much creativity is happening for the simple reason that we have withdrawn ourselves from past and future. Our whole energy remains blocked either in the past or the future. When you withdraw all your energy from past and future a tremendous explosion happens. That explosion is creativity."-----Bhagwan Shree Rajnessh from "The Goose is Out"
We hear a lot about "living in the now". But, exactly what does that mean? How can we live in the moment when we are dealing with getting the kids off to school, trying to think what to cook for dinner, what bills are due and when? We are such a linear society. We put everything on a timeline.
These are some of the suggestions that I have found help me.
1. Get organized. If you are not running around always looking for what you need, you will have more time to get things done.
2. Make a list of the things that need to get done, break it down into manageable segments, put it somewhere handy and mark things off when they are finished. This does a few things. First it gets all of that minutia out of your head so you don't have to keep reminding yourself. Second, it is great feeling to take a magic marker and run a line thru a chore. You can actually "see" what you have accomplished. Don't make your list real general, either. Divide it up into smaller pieces, as instead of putting down "Clean house", list it room by room with each chore listed.
3. Most important---DON'T WORRY IF IT ALL DOESN'T GET DONE! You know what? It will all still be there another day. Really, no one is going to ground you.
4. Take time off, real time off. Walk outside, read a book, take a bath, play with the cat, dog, or child, anything that will take you away from all the everyday worry stuff.
5. Prioritse! And this is where it gets difficult for most people. Whatever you list holds, YOU need to go first.
If you are living in fear or anger, you are not living in the now. You are living in the past and the future, thinking about what wen down, went wrong, why, and what to do about it. When you find yourself in this place, just stop. Notice where your shoulders are at. Are they hunched over or tight and up around your ears? Ok, just relax them. Take 3 to 5 deep breaths, slow and even. If the feelings are still there, do it all again. Infuse your living space with the calm of lavender or invigorate yourself with any of the citrus oils.
You can do it. I know this because I manage to do it. Well, at least every now and then! LOL
