Tomorrow's Wishes

Over the years I have met a lot of people, made a lot of friends and lost touch with just as many. Often you wonder what happened...why didn't we keep in touch, why where they here for such a short time, or why did they have to move away? While others, are there with you through thick and thin and you may not understand how you know, but you just know they will always be there.

There are so many reasons for people coming and going in our lives. People come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime.

When they enter your life for a reason, they may be there to fill a need you have at the time. They could be there for you physically, mentally, or spiritually. Often these could be unintentional meetings or chance encounters. You may not even know the reason yourself. Once they have filled the need, they move on. Depending on the relationship, this could be hard to accept or a welcoming change.

Some enter our lives for a season, or as I like to call them, chapters. Some chapters are better than others. It could be a real page turner that leaves you sad when the chapter ends, one of those suspenseful chapters that you just never know which way it will go, or a traumatizing chapter that builds character, strength and perhaps tests your abilities to overcome. Once the season or chapter is over they either leave you feeling fulfilled, wanting more, sad, or perhaps glad the season or chapter has ended.

Then you have those that enter and are there for a lifetime. Some you may see on a regular basis, some once a month, some years may pass, but you pick up right where you left off. They would be there in an instant should you call, they understand all that you have been through, they tell you the truth whether it is ugly or beautiful. Or...they just know too much at this point so they have to remain in your life. ;) They are there at your darkest to help pick you back up and help you through. They are there at your best when you are shining your brightest to congratulate you and cheer you on. And undoubtedly, they will be there again when you fall back down. They enter into your life at all different times, but no matter when they enter, they stay with you throughout.

Regardless, if they enter your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime, it is those friendships, meetings, and chance encounters that make up the chapters in our individual books of life. Everyone's life is different, unique, and wonderfully written. Every book holds many chapters and some are better than others, but they are our chapters.

You do not have to let everyone into the most private parts of your life. But remember, that as you go through life, embrace each chapter, all the happy, sad, funny, exciting, stressful and wondrous chapters that are yours. Welcome new friendships, live your life embracing the possibilities, and always leave the door open.

Centering thoughts...Inner peace...Living in the here an now.

Namaste.

Oh yea, much easier said than done!

With everyday life going past us in a high speed blur of appointments, work, kids, family life, the unexpected, stress, priorities, financial burdens, you name it. Multi-tasking!

Deep breath in...and out... Whooooo!

OK, so how do we prioritize? Separate what's truly important? Focus on the here and now?

I have no flipping idea!

I recently started a mediation course and what I am learning is that I am spending way too much time worrying about "stuff". It's supposed to be a 20 minute course once a day, for 21 days, I get through 10 minutes!

Living in the here and now...I don't have time for "that!"

I just found myself doing 4 days in one because I got an email saying they missed me. Ugh! So, I rushed through it, took notes, breezed through so I could get caught up, skipped over the actual meditation part and then sat back and went...wait...that's not how I was supposed to do that!

But I was in such a hurry to get back to my "tasks" for the day, I just couldn't take time for me.

How is that relaxing? How am I tuning into my inner self? How am I living in the here and now?

I'm NOT!

It's like sometimes I'm going through my day tuned into the wrong radio station, or somewhere in between where it's all fuzzy. I need to find my station and tune myself in.

OK...Pause...

Ommmmm

So, what do we do? How do we tune into the here and now? It's not that easy.

I cannot tell you how many times one of my kids is trying to talk to me and I have unconsciously tuned them out. Not because I don't want to hear what they have to say, but because I'm not really "with them" right then and there. I'm on that fuzzy station again, you know that loud annoying voice in our heads.

Earth to mom! Did you even here what I just said?

Ummmm yes...no...OK can you just repeat it?

I'm either in the past beating myself up for the mistakes I've made along the way or thinking about the future and how I can't control what is going to happen in my life. Focusing on my past mistakes or worrying about the unknown, it's not a great place to be.  It shouldn't be that hard to tune in and focus on the here and now. So why is it?

Everyday tasks, listening to that noisy voice that is non stop in our heads, not our inner spirit. We are filled with self doubt and anxiety of what we can't control. It pulls us away from what is truly important...living for today, this moment...right here!

It's time to yell it from the mountain tops...I'm living in the moment from here on out! I'm tuning in folks!


Part of the meditation series I'm doing, although I haven't truly committed to the meditation part yet, is listening to some inspiring words prior to taking the time to meditate.

My excuse, "I don't have enough time to do that." When, actually, time is all we really have. It's just how we choose to use it. Whether or not time controls us or we take control of time and become in sync with it. 

Starting out taking just 10 minutes a day to do something for you, something centering, something to get you grounded in the here and now. Let the outside world melt away and focus on your inner peace.

For me, I need to start a routine, maybe 10 minutes in the morning with no distractions or interruptions, not on my phone, just being in the moment. Maybe that will lead to me taking the time to actually "meditate" during my meditation series and take the full 20 minutes. I mean come on, 20 minutes, for me, that's not being greedy or selfish, but I tend to feel that way sometimes.

What naturally tunes you in? What gets you grounded?

For me it's several things.

Nature...

When I am meandering around our property, taking a walk in the park, or enjoying a quiet moment outdoors, everything else melts away and I am able to focus and enjoy the moment.

Now, I might pause to take a lot of pictures, but that centers me. The unfinished tasks, the unpaid bill I was worrying about, the unknown future, just doesn't seem as important anymore. I just don't do this often enough.


Animals....

Two words...unconditional love.When I'm having a hard day, I always know going out to the barn to visit the horses, taking the dogs out for a game of catch, just sitting with a cat in my lap for a few minutes....they just melt my anxiety away.

However, often, I don't just enjoy the moment, I find a task to go along with it. Shovel stalls instead of just enjoying the beautiful creature in front of me. Pick weeds in between ball throws with the dog. Constantly multi-tasking, constantly distracted...squirrel!


My family...

They keep me grounded...they complete me, they make me laugh, they bring me joy, they make my heart full, and I am my happiest when we are all together. But with lives going in so many different directions, it is not always easy getting the quality time with them (or alone time with my husband) that I crave. But I treasure the moments we do get.





I am a constant work in progress, just ask my family. But as the years go by, the older I get, I am realizing more and more that I am in control of a lot more than I think.

I just need to train myself (and my husband!) to take more time, even 10 minutes, focusing on being in the moment, living in the here and now. Not multi-tasking. Tiny steps toward inner peace.

It's learning to say no to all the stuff that is taking up our precious days, hours, and minutes. Those things that are not truly what you are being called to do. Listening to our inner spirit not the noisy voice in our heads telling us to do this or do that, bringing up old hurts, or making us focus on the future that we can't control.

Putting time back on our side and leading a fulfilled life based on our inner spirit and not the outer world. Finding what grounds us and not being controlled by time but being in sync with it.

Wow, that sounds incredibly hard when I see it written out, but I'm going to take it 10 minutes at a time (20 once I start the actual meditating part!) and make a conscious effort to truly, live in the here and now.

Who's with me?!