Several times I have written in the past about being present and power of being present. I continue to work on this and would like to share some of my thoughts. My favourite quote is from Eckert Tolle in the Power of Now, "There is no past or future, only the eternal now." However that is easier to say than to make a part of the way we face the world. I think my problem is the beliefs I developed about the world that stay with me today as little scripts that run in my mind and distract me from the present. As a little boy I developed beliefs about the way the world was and the way it should be. These scripts or beliefs are still with me today and color my perception of life, the universe and everything. I working hard at becoming more aware of my limiting beliefs. I would like to share a couple with you.
One of my favourite expression when I was young was "It’s not fair." I felt I was not being fairly treated and clearly had great sense of the injustice in the world. Particularly the way I was treated by my older brother. These days this script runs in my head and I am distracted from dealing with the situation as it presents itself and dealing more with the injustice of it all. This is something I am becoming aware of and would like to change. I would like to change it to "It’s is neither fair or unfair, it just is." However I will help the little boy see that this is a better way.
Another script that runs in my head is wishing things were not the way they are. I recall a quote from the Rubaiyat, "The moving finger writes and having writ moves on and all you piety nor wit can lure it back to cancel half a line." I think that I often am distracted in my dealing with the present by wishing I was not where I am right now. In my favourite metaphor of golf, if my last shot put me in a bad spot or ruined a good score, nothing is accomplished by dwelling on the last shot. The only shot that counts and I have any control over is the one I am about to make. The more I deal with the current situation and not the past the more effective I will become.
As you may gather from my blogs, I am a very analytical person and thin about things deeply. However one thing my mind does not like is to deal with these irrational emotions and feeling. I recall advice I received many years ago was to follow the path with the heart. For an analytical fellow, I found that very difficult and am still working on that advice. I do believe the more I can become present the more I will become aware of the path with the heart.
I am continuing to work on being present and will continue to report my progress as my development continues.