Some days, clarity abounds.
Today was one of those days for me.
One of my biggest downfalls is always trying to make sure I have all my ducks in a row. All the while…. trying to make sure that all over the world… all the other ducks are all in their respective rows. Just on the off chance that my duck rows might intersect with their duck rows.
Is anybody able to ducking follow this?
At any rate, today I had the realization, once again, that I am supposed to be in this exact moment. Whatever that moment may be. And while I am in that moment, to take notice, and be at ease with the present place and time.
Mindfulness is its name-o-rama.
Mindfulness is at the root of Buddhism, Taoism, and many Native-American traditions. Many great minds have considered its relevance. It’s why good old Thoreau went to Walden Pond. And one of my favorites…. Walt Whitman wrote about in his essays and poems.
My big deal is that I am always struggling with whatever is taking place. Even if it is good. I start filling it up with a bunch of “What If’s”…. and trying to get myself somehow…. “ready” for what might happen next.
When will I finally realize that I can’t predict anything. I am not sure if I am the only one who does this….. but maybe. I can’t BEGIN to count the number of times I have played over possible future scenarios in my head….. only to find there’s no way to know what is down the pike?
It is silly and it is wasted brain energy. It is time that could be spent really listening to people. Time when I could have just been feeling okay about anything.
It is paradoxical. It is like we need to “hand it over and let it be”…. but it really isn’t ours to hand over in the first place. It all just happens… no matter how much we may protest, or applaud.
Trust. Breath. Listen. Be there.
Today I had a lot of moments of truly being there. In that minute. It happens to me when I am surrounded by huge red rocks and cliffs. They don’t have ducks in the canyons with the big red rocks.
No ducks. No worrying about ducks.
Today… there was just an appreciation for being me, and being exactly where I was supposed to be.
It is through gratitude for the present moment that the spiritual dimension of life opens up. — Eckhart Tolle