Missing Now

So when you find yourself becoming anxious about the “defining moment”, and how your Now moments will culminate, consider the lessons that you are learning, and need to learn, in the process.
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In addition to being a wife and mother, one of the things that I pride myself on is building a legacy for my children, one built on a solid partnership with my husband.  We do our best to regularly discuss our mutual and individual goals, purpose, and our respective trajectories on various components of our lives.  In our most recent powwow, I shared with him that while I felt good about the broader portfolio of writing that I had been developing, I was also anxious about what is to come, and what will transpire between now and then – when that elusive “defining moment” unveils itself.

This discussion gave way to the whole concept of “Now”, and begged the question of whether I was truly living in the Now.  I’m sure many of you have heard a lot about the “fierce urgency of now”, and its characterization in speeches by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and later, President Barack Obama.  Then, there’s also  The Power of Now , by Eckhart Tolle (by the way, I have not read the book, though it is part of our home library).  My insight on this subject, however, takes on a less political, but definitely more personal meaning as I contextualize it against the backdrop of my life anxieties.

So many times, we become consumed by our own angst, which occurs as a result of our preoccupation about what’s to come – the future, the what-ifs.  As such, our success and happiness are hinged in the conditional.  The attainment of our deepest desires becomes dependent on a condition.  If we could only lose ten pounds, get our hands on more money, find the right mate, were there instead of here, had that job instead of this one, if only we had more time, if only we got published :o, then, and only then would we realize true happiness.  Inarguably, we could all use more time and resources (financial or otherwise) to iron out the kinks, to improve and implement our plans, but we actually lose time when our minds overlook the Now. Moreover, we miss the beauty around us as well as the opportunity to create meaning.

While it is important to plan, and to work toward a certain goal, we must develop a deeper understanding of how our Now moments fit into the larger plan.  A series of Now events must take place along the journey before we can proceed to the next level.  Furthermore, the cultivation of, and engagement in, these moments as well as the required stillness will surely prepare us for more, for greater, for the destinations that lie further ahead.  Too much anxiety about what’s to come only heightens our sense of paranoia, resulting in fitful nights of sleep, thereby causing an unshakeable anxiety which ultimately renders us unable to move forward anyway.

So when you find yourself becoming anxious about the “defining moment”, and how your Now moments will culminate, consider the lessons that you are learning, and need to learn, in the process. What you take away from them may very well define how you will handle what you call success.  Appreciate how this Now moment is preparing you for what’s to come.   Being in the Now teaches us some important lessons, including not taking our success for granted, humility, and patience.  Also, it quietly affords us the reflection that we may not have when the rapid pace of success takes off!   Now you know what I know: Now is a very necessary path in the greater unfolding of our ultimate dreams, hopes, and visions.

Now is fleeting, so hurry…you don’t want to miss it!

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