Here and Now

"Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment."
Buddha

At some point, we all dwell in the past, some more than others.   The past can be disappointing, regretful, bittersweet, memorable.  The past can be painful and have severe consequences, or it can be the highlight of our life, and hard to let go.

I have had so much lost in the past.  Career paths rerouted, regretful decisions, friendships severed, words misspoken.  I use to dwell on these things often.  I use to feel sorry for myself.  Could of, should of, would of....Didn't.  I also have loved, lived and been proud of my past.  Highlights of my past cross my mind frequently and bring back feelings of accomplishment.

The future is exciting, scary, unknown, and often dreamt about.  We set our goals in the future, make changes for the future, and sometimes put off the undesirable for a future time. We brag about our future, complain about the future, over plan for not only our future but our loved ones future as well, and worry about the overall future for everyone.

We all have both a past and a future worth dwelling on and reminiscing about .  

Some say the future isn't promised, of course the future could be lost at any moment, death is a clear indication of that. But what if those future events, good or bad, that consume us were kept in the future and not set on a pedestal or agonized over. 

What if past hurt was geniully forgiven, previous obstacles overcame and chapters closed?

This post sounds deeper than it is intended to be, I really just wanted to write LIVE IN THE MOMENT...but I thought further elaboration on my thoughts, would have a better effect.

I am not enjoying everyday as I should, and I know that is because every day I do not live in the moment.  I do not appreciate the things right in front of my face.   I do not see the humor in my children's mistakes, or take the valuable lessons out of them every time as I should.

I look forward to so many things, and miss out on far more.  The thoughts "when they are older...in the new house...next summer..." have fogged my head and not allowed me to enjoy THIS age, THIS home, THIS summer. 

I want my children to enjoy now, tomorrow, yesterday...living in the moment will give them a wonderful past. present and future.   

It sounds so easy, and for some it is not a challenge, it comes natural and is their way of thinking.  I am not one of those people.  I dwell, I anticipate and I have a hard time seeing what is, it is a challenge for me to enjoy here and now, but the reward is well worth the work. 

Living in the moment will create a better past, less regrets (or maybe more enjoyable ones), and lead to an optimistic future.  Seeing what I do have, should outweigh what I don't, and sacrifices will soon become my past, less important and just a small piece of the puzzle of my life.

My house is messy today as it is everyday, and feels like it will never be clean.  I use to have a cleaning lady to help me, because 7 people making a mess and 1 person cleaning is a horrible math problem.  I could feel bad for myself, or I could pick up what I can, take care of the important things, and appreciate my children while they are here making a mess...because soon my house will be clean...and quiet, and I will miss this mess more than anything.

Such a trivial thing for me to worry about...but these are the things that consume me, and I am sure sometimes you as well.  We worry, hurt, become angry, over excited, analytical about things that have happened, or will happen, instead searching for the good, the happy, the once in a life time, that is today.


So now that I have over stated my opinion on the topic, I am going to go live in the moment..