Mindful...
Today my goal is to stay present. Have you ever tried this? The mind always wants to think about what needs to be done next or what we already did. To focus on the here and now is difficult for most. What makes me fixed on staying present is the chaos around me. Many of my loved ones are experiencing very difficult situations, which encourages me to sit still in gratitude for what I have and am thankful for.
I took a luxurious walk this morning along the Inter-coastal and Atlantic ocean. The view was spectacular. I saw the sun peak out over the purple/orange backdrop on the ocean shoreline. A new day is about to begin. My legs are strong and my energy abound. My fur-child Sage moves with me as if we are one. Her tail swishes side to side – so joyful to be with me out on a walk. She lives in the now.
Today my goal is to stay present. Have you ever tried this? The mind always wants to think about what needs to be done next or what we already did. To focus on the here and now is difficult for most. What makes me fixed on staying present is the chaos around me. Many of my loved ones are experiencing very difficult situations, which encourages me to sit still in gratitude for what I have and am thankful for.
I took a luxurious walk this morning along the Inter-coastal and Atlantic ocean. The view was spectacular. I saw the sun peak out over the purple/orange backdrop on the ocean shoreline. A new day is about to begin. My legs are strong and my energy abound. My fur-child Sage moves with me as if we are one. Her tail swishes side to side – so joyful to be with me out on a walk. She lives in the now.
A person learns they have an illness, let’s say it is a rare disease and they will no longer be able to see. I would imagine for the time left they would be looking at everything with attention knowing soon there would be a sea of darkness. I wonder why not see today as if it were my last view. Or live each day as my last. What would I do different? Who would I want to spend time with? What would I say that had not been said?
Today I practice mindfulness. The dictionary defines mindfulness as calm awareness of one's body functions, feelings, content of consciousness, or consciousness itself. I am totally conscious of my fingers dancing over the keys putting words together. I am told mindfulness is the path to liberation and enlightenment. It is the intense purpose of staying in the now. I get this. For the past two years I had been consumed with paying off my $85,000 student loan. Yes, you read the numbers correctly. My goal was to become debt free.
During this quest it was difficult to remain in the present because I was living for the future of no debt. I had a special birthday this year: 9-09-09. What made it special beyond the cool numbers? I decided two years ago to pay off all my debt including my student loan with Miss Sallie on September 9, 2009. I kept my nose to the grind for two years and not waiver one iota to purchase anything that was not of absolute necessity. I learned to live with less and appreciate the free gifts around me daily.
I accomplished my goal and on Wednesday, September 9, 2009 I wrote my last check to Sallie and enthusiastically dropped it in the mail box on my way to work. I thought I would hear a chorus of angels burst into song. I did not. But what I did experience was a keen awareness of peace and liberation. I no longer am a slave to owing.
So, today I am present. I refuse to think about what needs to be done next or what I already did. I am present with each breath in and out. I am present to the sounds of birds singing and the whispers of the wind as it folds through the palm trees out my window. I am here and now. What makes me fixed on staying present is the chaos around me. Loved ones are at personal crossroads – forced to face difficult situations, which encourages me to sit still in gratitude for what I have and am thankful for.
Today I practice mindfulness. The dictionary defines mindfulness as calm awareness of one's body functions, feelings, content of consciousness, or consciousness itself. I am totally conscious of my fingers dancing over the keys putting words together. I am told mindfulness is the path to liberation and enlightenment. It is the intense purpose of staying in the now. I get this. For the past two years I had been consumed with paying off my $85,000 student loan. Yes, you read the numbers correctly. My goal was to become debt free.
During this quest it was difficult to remain in the present because I was living for the future of no debt. I had a special birthday this year: 9-09-09. What made it special beyond the cool numbers? I decided two years ago to pay off all my debt including my student loan with Miss Sallie on September 9, 2009. I kept my nose to the grind for two years and not waiver one iota to purchase anything that was not of absolute necessity. I learned to live with less and appreciate the free gifts around me daily.
I accomplished my goal and on Wednesday, September 9, 2009 I wrote my last check to Sallie and enthusiastically dropped it in the mail box on my way to work. I thought I would hear a chorus of angels burst into song. I did not. But what I did experience was a keen awareness of peace and liberation. I no longer am a slave to owing.
So, today I am present. I refuse to think about what needs to be done next or what I already did. I am present with each breath in and out. I am present to the sounds of birds singing and the whispers of the wind as it folds through the palm trees out my window. I am here and now. What makes me fixed on staying present is the chaos around me. Loved ones are at personal crossroads – forced to face difficult situations, which encourages me to sit still in gratitude for what I have and am thankful for.
Photo taken by: Dr. Lisa Ortigara Crego
