"Stay Present" - it's something I've heard time and time again from friends and family members, and now yoga instructors and meditation books. The true beauty in this little piece of advice is not fathomable until you completely allow yourself to let go, and for me, this took lots of practice. So here's where I go all earthy-crunchy on you and blog my recent zen inspirations.
Let go.
The past is done with. It cannot be changed.
The future is not here yet. You cannot predict it.
Live for today. Live for this moment. Live for you.
Staying present has lots of not all to do with self acceptance. Stop dwelling on what you didn't get done, and focus on what you did. (Even if that means you sat around on the couch all day - hey, you listened to your body, and took time to relax. Good job.) Stop comparing. You are who you are - you are no one else, you will never be anyone else. Appreciate yourself and all you do. Don't focus on what you can't change; live for right now. If you're tired, let yourself be tired. Take a rest, relax, breathe. If you're overwhelmed, accept things for what they are, and move on. There's nothing you can't make it through. You are you, beautiful, wonderful you.
Smile. Happiness is contagious.
As a mother, my day has the ability to be filled with thoughts of all the things I could be doing or should have done; it took me 3 years to learn (and I'm still learning) to put a stop to these thoughts. To be the best mother I can be is to be confident in my decisions, and pay attention to myself and my needs as well as those of my kids. Maybe we didn't make it outside to play on this beautiful summer day because I was simply too tired after staying up all night with the baby - but we did lots of crafts, read lots of stories, and laughed a whole lot. This is where I need to focus my energy - positive energy - into all the things I did do with my kids today.
The most difficult times to stay present, I find, is when we have an unexpected change in plans. Maybe Eric is stuck in traffic and arrives home an hour later than expected, after an entire day of me counting down the hours, then minutes, until he gets home so I can go for my run and get my small break in the day. My reaction isn't always so zen - but I'm trying. It's something that's out of my hands, and I have to accept it - he's getting home late. Maybe I won't have time to run that day. I can choose to dwell on this, the negative, or I can throw my hands up in defeat of the inevitable, and think "okay, now I have extra time to do another craft or read another book with Lyla".
Staying present is staying positive in the moment. Accept right now for what it is - happy or sad, stressed or relieved; whatever it is, it's in your control. You are the only person who controls you - you always have a choice in your life, your reactions, your responses. If there's nothing you can do, surrender to the moment.
It's a daily reminder, and a way to a better, stress-free life.
This is something I strive for. Something I work hard for. Something I live for.
I've found love, I've created life, and now is my time to focus on me - being confident and appreciative in all I do. Not to be defined as wife and mother, but as a person - happy inside and out.
It's a process, but one I will work at daily.
To stop. To let go.
To stay present.
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