Capturing the Moment to Manifest Our Most Perfect Selves
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Live in the Moment! BE in the Moment! "BE HERE NOW!"
It seems to me that being in the 'moment' is one of the most oft repeated motivational adages of our times, yet regardless of how many times this advice has been drummed into our consciousness, are we REALLY able to live in the moment?
I just came back from what is usually a mundane ten minute walk to the corner store, during which I think I obtained some personal enlightenment on this topic.
Most of my days are spent working in front of a computer, with breaks for meals, playing with dog, housework done in bits and bites, and normal daily activities. As much as I wish I had more time to meditate, I find that the only time I can be guaranteed 'quality' ME-time is when I am drifting off to sleep at night. And that type of meditation invariably turns quickly into a waltz with the Sandman, so doesn't accomplish much in the way of heightening my spiritual awareness. Other than that, my brain is usually whirling and twirling, underscored by a steady stream of self-talk and monkey mind chatter. Geez, I AM garrulous!
My other best 'zoning' times are while driving or, now that I don't have a vehicle during the days, I can 'zone' nicely while walking to do my errands. Well, today my senses were already naturally aroused by the sudden arrival of some crisp, sunny October weather, which has taken us quite by surprise.
As I pulled my jacket a bit tighter, I consciously enjoyed the feel of walking for the first time this season in winter shoes that have been buried these many months in the bottom of the closet. True, they cramped my toes a bit, a typical sensation when one first clamps a closed shoe onto sandal loving toes, but they gave me a bouncy kind of support that you can't get from sandals.
I really wanted to consciously enjoy the walk - so I took note of some late season morning glories that were still clinging bravely to a neighbours fence, hanging on for dear life in the sharp breeze. A few crunchy leaves skittered across the sidewalk in front of me, and when a heavy cloud skirted the sun, a heavy shadow darkened the street totally changing the world. In the parking a lot, I heard a large truck coming up behind me, and as it approached, I stepped up onto the sidewalk to give it room. As it passed me and made a turn a few feet further up, I caught a large whiff of exhaust - and each and every one of these sensations triggered something within me. A memory, an association - something from the past, or something on my mind at this moment in time.
Other autumn days going to school as a child I barely remember, an autumn day in the park with a long ago boyfriend, my own backyard in need of tending before the cold kills off the more tender plants, a summer scene in Budapest where the air downtown is constantly heavy with diesel fumes.
The harder I tried to BE in the moment, the more thoughts were rushing through my head. A store sign that had just gone up reminded me that we want to find some new draperies for our living room. A feather on my path making me smile and then remember a dream I had had the other night.
So, unless you are in a state meditative bliss, which while really nice, tends to be a very small portion of our daily lives, how can you be aware and just BE at the same time?
I slowed my steps and just noticed my feet moving along the path and realized that by the time I took each new step, the moment was already gone, only to be replaced with a new moment. Moving even more slowly, I smiled at the thought that time was still moving at its own pace. The present was already in the past by the time I could even remotely hope to experience it with all my being. So - what then, is the answer to capturing the moment?
If time is so nebulous, and relentless, isn't it possible that it doesn't really matter? Or need to matter? If, as some say, time is created by the conscious mind to provide us with a framework for life, then maybe we should consider alternative ways of looking at time, and at being.
If a focused awareness of 'being' recalls memories of the past, associations of the now - and even thoughts of the future, then maybe we should consider more seriously the concept that what we are now is a sum total of all that we have been, all that we are and all that we will be.
And - if this is true, then by being aware today of what we wish to create for the future, we are currently harmonizing that future person with the energy of who we are - and by visualizing the person we wish to be, we are imprinting that upon our present selves.
I think the truth is that on one hand, as human beings, we are programmed at a very basic level to carry the past with us and also to project into the future. Without these abilities, we would not be able to sustain our physical lives and personal growth as we know it. It is undeniable that we need to learn from past experiences and mistakes in order to react efficiently and appropriately to present circumstances.
The animals that walk this earth with us have a highly developed sense of being in the moment - which is one of the things that makes them so delightful to interact with. But although I believe they think much more than we humans give them credit for, they certainly don't hold on to the past or worry about the future as we do! But it is also crucial to human life that we think ahead - and be able to implement the actions that will steer us towards our desired goals. Does this inherent humanness negate the ability to be in the moment? Maybe.
Perhaps we shouldn't stress too much about our less-than-perfectness. Even if it is difficult to attain a state of purely 'being in the now', let us remain aware that our true nature is not confined to life's events and imprints, and that such things are merely a temporary framework of sorts for our true selves. Our spirits, while contained in a physical body and working within the confines of what we call time and space, soar on another plane where earthly concepts are irrelevant. Here in the physical though, we may need to allow the concept of being in the now to be simplified: delight in what we are and what we experience - and sometimes, just let it be.
So, let's capture the moments that we can, but know that we can't hold them - we can only enjoy walking in the beautiful illusion we call life.
© 2003 Zsuzsana Summer
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zsuzsana@arcanamatrix.com
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| Zsuzsana is a renowned professional psychic, syndicated columnist and New Age authour. Visit Zsuzsana at www.arcanamatrix.com for everything from Angels to Wicca and lots of metaphysical goodies in between! |
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