Most people do not feel at peace in the present moment. They are uncomfortable with themselves, unable to be alone with their own thoughts. Think about it. How long has it been since you’ve seen someone sitting alone anywhere without a cell phone in front of them? People step in front of cars or walk into fountains at the mall because they cannot be with themselves without the distraction of a screen before them.
If it’s not the lure of a screen, it’s the curse of constant busy-ness that keeps people distracted from the present moment. Every minute must be scheduled, filled in with chores, activities, sports, distractions of any kind.
But, why? Why is it so difficult to live conscious and aware at home with the self, within the present moment?
Barriers to peace.
There can be many reasons that people are not at home with themselves, but a major barrier to peace in the present is the belief that you should be somewhere else. I should be farther along, more accomplished, more successful. I should be thinner, richer, smarter, kinder. Ad infinitim. This is self judgment, self condemnation, and it is a destroyer of peace.
Another thief of peace in the present moment is fear. Fear of facing your own thoughts. Fear of the future …of failure…of actually doing the things you’ve been dreaming of. Even fear of what others might think.
Fear paralyzes us in the present moment and does not allow us to inhabit it with grace or move forward in growth.
Being where you are.
You can only be where you are, and that’s okay. Where you are right now is the sum total of your past: your experiences, your beliefs, your actions, your choices, even your programming. It’s a plot point in your life story. It’s an adventure that is always to-be-continued. It is also the springboard to your future.
Being in allowance.
Can you muster the courage just to allow yourself to be, alive and aware, in this present moment? Could you be grateful for life itself? Can you entertain the possibility that all that has come before has come for your benefit, even if you can’t figure out how right now? Can you hold the mystery of not knowing and the grace of simply being in your heart space?
If you can accept yourself as you are, where you are, right now in the present moment, without judgment, then you are in place of great power.
Allow yourself to calm down and look at your life. Allow yourself to ask some questions.
- What is working in my life? How can I get more of this?
- What’s not working? How can I release this with ease?
- What would I like to change?
- Where can I allow myself more grace?
- Where can I hope and dream and stretch?
Then begin to allow answers to come to you. Be still. Sit in the quiet. Don’t let fear or judgment provide the same old negative feedback. Don’t replay past thought-loops of negativity. Instead, let hope and possibility begin to lead the conversation. Invite creativity and inspiration to participate.
If we can begin to allow ourselves to be fully present in the now moment, choosing thoughts and attitudes that benefit us, purposefully turning our attention towards people and things that give us joy, we can come home to ourselves. We can be more than okay with where we are. We can make peace with the present.
