Willing Wednesday: Being in the Now

Sometimes it's easy and sometimes it's hard.  Being in the now.  When it's easy it just flows.  It did for me over the weekend when I was breathing again.  Speaking of flow...there is a book with that title.  It is by
psychologist, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, (Hungarian by the way) I know that is a tough one to pronounce but it goes like this:  MEE-hy CHEEK-sent-may-HY-ee.  He is an expert in happiness and creativity.  According to Mihaly flow is the state in which one feels complete and focused motivation.  In flow, emotions are positive, energized, and congruent with the task at hand.  One might loose a sense of time and feel spontaneous joy or rapture when in flow.  

For me it has happened when I've been...running, cycling, gardening, cooking, doing therapy, doing yoga- stuff I love the most. 
And then, when it is hard to be in the moment, it is really hard.  Living the past can often be painful. 

Re-hashing, ruminating or going in circles over some interaction you had with someone that you wished had gone differently.  Nagging thoughts that you might have been offensive, not clear, wrong, right, harsh, soft, obnoxious, off base, let someone down and on and on.  Focusing on something someone else did, an offense, affront, or insult.  Maybe even re-living painful memories or experiences from the past, replaying them again and again like a bad movie on a loop cycle. 

Then there is living in the future.  Anticipation that morphs into a big ball of anxiety.  Worry about money, relationships, work, drinking, eating, weight, drugs, gambling, the presentation, the party, the wedding, the divorce, the confrontation, the intervention and, and, and. 

Living in the past and the future can be stressful.  Being in the now usually isn't that bad. 

One of my very favorite bloggers, Sarah McColl, who writes The Pink of Perfection, posted on this a few weeks ago.  She called her post Not Next but Now.  She wrote about how being the moment means trusting the moment and trusting yourself and focusing on...

This cup of coffee. This dinner with friends. This crescent pose. This sunset I can see from the train window. This crossword puzzle that’s got me hung up on “hobos’ hangout.” This one open tab on my browser. This, this, this.

Being in the NOW means Living Your Life to the Fullest!  Getting more pleasure from the small things.  My Aunt Kathy knew this better than anyone I have every known.  Because she survived breast cancer before she died from lung cancer-  She was always in the NOW- Thankful for everyday- Living a big, bold, life.   She would say to me on occasion "Arena, you know this is your life don't you?  This is it, it is happening to you right now!"  It was good reminder, but I always laughed and joked "No! When my life really starts I am going to tall, slim and have a perfect manicure at all times!"    This song always makes me think of her and reminds me to dance every chance I get.