Thursday, July 28, 2011

The Only Place to Be is Right Now!

As I watch the antics of the politicians in Washington DC who seem to be playing dodgeball with the economic future of our nation, I realize that the only place for me to be in is this very moment. As an exercise in raising anxiety and blood pressure, watching our government do its work is second only to being a spectator at a bear baiting match.   How can we escape the stress and uncertainty about a future we seem as individuals to have absolutely no control over and, worse, seem to have handed over to a bunch of middle aged teenagers bent on playing a high stakes game of chicken?

I'm taking a quick break from continuing with my list of Clues to staying in the present, to address the issue of right now as I feel the anxiety level of the whole nation rise in unison.  What can we do as individuals to stay out of this stressful force field emanating from our capital out towards us all?

I was inspired to title this blog - The Rest of My Life is Now - and I see that there is no more urgent need for me to believe this than today.  If I am to believe what I see on television and read in the newspapers then The Rest of My Life is......over.  Tomorrow will be worse than today and the day after that worse, the week after that disastrous and the month after that catastrophic!  What kind of a life will that be and what hope is there for the future?

What nonsense.  Right now, today, everything is much the same as it was yesterday.  I am still breathing.  I am still alive.  I have the option to be happy if I choose to be.  I can find hope and gratitude if I open my eyes and look.  I can relax and be content. 

The future is always uncertain.  Even if we believe some things are predictable (I do believe the sun will come up tomorrow as it did today for example), most are not written in stone.  There are many, many options, many, many choices, many, many possibilities.  That's what makes the future exciting!  However, most of us have only a certain level of tolerance for excitement.  We need a good balance of peace and calm.  Therefore, being out in the future too much is not good for us.  We don't have control of the future and uncertainty brings anxiety.

Now is the place to be.  Right now everything is all right.  The world is still turning.  I can focus on my breath - in, out, in, out.  In this moment, there can be peace.  In every moment I can find that stillness that houses serenity and calm.  It is always there if only I will return to find it and today that is more important than ever.