Where Do You Live?

​​Don't lose today because it is all you really have.

I was listening to someone today that was so upset about several things going on and none of it was "hers" or "today".  There was emotional upheaval attached to things in the past, worry and anxiety about the future...all of it about other people.  She was not in a place to hear me gently tell her this, but it was a good reminder for me.

How many times do we get all upset and twisted emotionally about past, future or people?  The past can't be changed and the future isn't here yet and neither one can be controlled no matter how hard you try.  You really only have control of right now, this moment.  People are going to do what they are going to do, regardless of what you say or do..

When the mind starts winding itself into knots, the body follows.  Many times when I ask clients what is going on in their life, they are really telling me all the reasons their body is uncomfortable.  What better way to  get your attention than PAIN!?!  The body uses several ways to get your attention; anxiety, rapid pulse, high blood pressure, headache, stomach or bowel problems, anger, sadness, and the list goes on...

Eckhart Tolle wrote a book, "The Power of Now", that I tried to read several years ago but at that time it didn't make any sense to me and I set it aside.  Two years ago, I picked it up and the message resonated.  I was in a place to understand his words and incorporated it into my meditation practice by reading and contemplating each idea prior to meditating.

At the time I began reading this book I had a lot of anger and sadness and was reliving past events that only kept the cycle of pain and anger going.  Being able to stand back and realize what I was doing was the first step in healing the pattern and letting it go.  I have this posted in my kitchen where I can see it from almost anywhere in my house (I have a tiny house):
"Accept what is,
Let go of what was,
Have faith in what will be."
Reading that every day has helped me focus on the present and step off the carousel of reliving old hurts or creating negative futures.

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