As of lately, my world has been a little hectic. All in my mind, of course. You see, most people say their lives are busy, crazy, jam-packed. They put stress on themselves, constantly over-thinking, over-analyzing… completely missing the point of life. Which is what? Living in the moment. Being in the present. Realizing that this exact moment, this precise second – there is nothing more important. The past? Not real, as it is just a memory, therefore not reality. The present? Not real, as it has not happened yet, so not reality. So what do we do? we live in the past – constantly reliving good times, bad times, trying to think of ways we could have said something different, done something different. We also live in the future – constantly planning, creating scenarios in our heads of what we want to happen, what we are afraid might happen and constantly worry about what might happen. All the while, missing out on the most important time of our lives – Now.
This is something that I have really struggled with – as I am constantly analyzing my life, why I haven’t gotten to where I think I should be, comparing myself to others, creating meaningless worry in my head that isn’t even real. I recently took on a challenge to meditate for 45 minutes every day for 90 days. As of right now, I am on day 23 . Meditating every day has not only forced me to take quiet time for myself – it has also given me time to sit in silence, quiet my brain and give it a rest from all of the crazy thoughts that go through my head every day. And I love them. As I sit to meditate, they come, crashing in like huge waves. And I invite them in, grateful for them, accepting them. Until eventually, they begin to fade out. I focus on my breathing, on the energy beginning to flow through me. Then – the thoughts start to go away, and I feel my presence growing stronger, my thoughts emptying, my inner light growing stronger as I connect with the importance of that exact moment. I envision my body as a vessel of white light, shining out love to the universe. And in that moment, I am love. I am the universe, and the universe is me. This is pure joy, joy that most people are afraid to experience because they don’t know how. Or don’t feel that they deserve it. We are all deserving of love – and meditation is one of the quickest ways to learn & practice love.
As I struggle to stay in the moment, I feel the tugging of everyday worries putting thoughts in my head, scared of this love, this freeing feeling. And as I come down, I am grateful for that love, that light that I am able to experience, even if it is just for a minute of my meditation that day.
I encourage you all to try meditation – the emptying of thoughts, the freeing of your mind. You don’t have to sit down cross-legged; heck, sometimes i sit on the floor with my back propped up and my legs stretched out. Not into sitting still for long periods of time? try 5 minutes one day. or find time every day to do something you love – something that relaxes you – whether it be crafting, riding your bike, playing cards, writing in your journal – there are so many different ways to quiet your mind. And you don’t have to be a buddhist to meditate!
As we all hurry to the next thing in our lives – please remember to stop and take a moment to realize that you are in the moment. you ARE the moment – and nothing else is more important. If you weren’t standing where you are right now – how else would you get to point B? Be here now – be present, and I promise, you will appreciate life more, worry less & love more.
This is how the first 40 minutes of my 45 minute meditation goes
