No fancy footwork – straight talk is on the menu.
I'll lay it out straight with you (because, really, when am I ever anything but?). Lately, I've been dealing with some pretty intense anxiety.
Yep, I'm not immune – far from it. Wondering how I ended up in this line of work? It's precisely because I've been there more times than I can keep up with.
Do you want to know what my one magic strategy is? Constantly reminding myself to BE HERE NOW. When my anxious mind starts spinning its tales, I'm not HERE. I'm off THERE – in some imagined future or worried sick over alternate realities where doomsday seems like a day in the park.
To snap back to the present moment, where everything is safe and snug, and nothing bad is actually happening, I interrupt those thoughts and declare to myself: 'BE HERE NOW'.
Then, I refocus on the current moment – soft clothing, a soothing light, warmth, breath, the ground beneath my feet, and the spirit supporting me.
Be here NOW.
There is only now.
Every future scenario unfolds in your imagination, and guess what? Your imagination is a thought happening NOW. You get to choose what to think, feel, and do NOW.
Be HERE now.
Consciously bring yourself back HERE from wherever your mind wandered – whether it's an ongoing argument or imagining the worst news of your life.
Come back HERE, where it's safe, and you have the power to decide what to do with this moment.
BE present now.
Just BE. That's all that's asked of you. Be at peace for this moment, without worrying about the next.
Be still, be active, but just BE.
In this present moment, nothing is demanded of you. No tigers to fight, and everyone is safe.
Just be. Hour by hour. Moment by moment.
And in the grand scheme – it doesn't matter.
Your cereal bowl choice doesn't matter. What are you going to watch on TV next. Missing the train doesn't matter. Making that call or not doesn't matter. Winning the argument or not – it doesn't matter.
This isn't to say there are no consequences; it's just that the consequences don't matter.
They might be painful, and even that won't matter because you (and I) will survive them. Always have. 100% of the time. Not a bad track record, huh?
So, I hope this resonates with you. If life's throwing its 'interesting' moments and curve balls your way, know that I'm sending you loads of love, virtual squeezes, and cheering your name to the Universal gods.
Sending love confetti your way!
