Are you there?

Yes, we are here.

Over the years, I have heard and read a great deal about how important it is to stay present and in the moment. Why is that so important?

Because that is where your life is happening. In the present moment. And the present moment is all that exists.

The past and the future do not exist?

In experiential terms, no. The past and future do not exist. The focus of your higher self, indeed, the focus of the entire Universe, is grounded in the present. The present moment is all that exists. It is all that has ever existed. That is where the power of Source, and by extension, your own personal power, resides.

Is there any value in thinking about the past or dreaming about the future?

Yes, of course. Some of this is simply practical. For example, it is sometimes necessary for you to plan for future events – trips, meetings, etc. And it is often useful to consider the past in examining the choices you have made. Positive memories of the past and dreams of the future can also be used to create your present moment experiences, depending on your preferences and desires. The real question is – are your thoughts about the past or future serving you or holding you back?

Like regret about past actions or worry about upcoming events. That sort of thing.

Exactly. Much of your thinking resides in the past and the future and the majority of that thinking is, to one degree or another, fear-based. With past thinking, there is a great deal of regret and recrimination and self-doubt. Future thought is comprised mostly of worry and fearful anticipation, about money, about loss of various kinds, about health. This type of fear-based thinking does not serve you because it draws your focus away from the present. The goal is to really FEEL your life, to feel it in a wide-awake and fully conscious manner, and the only way you can accomplish this is by staying concentrated and focused in the present moment. Otherwise, you are simply re-creating experiences from your past or creating problems that your future thinking anticipates.

How do I know when I’m present and when I’m not?

In the same way that you gauge all of your experiences – by the way that you feel. When you are absorbed in past and future thought, you can feel that you are not present. Monitor your thoughts and you will realize that this is true. You will be engaged in an activity and your mind will drift off and you will essentially be somewhere else, either absorbed in a past memory or worrying about a future event. Your sense of the present moment will become dulled and fuzzy. You may not even be fully aware of what is physically right in front of you. It is akin to a dream state. After a time, usually when your thinking triggers an intense emotion like anxiety or fear, you wake up and realize that you have been lost in your own thoughts. It is that moment that you must pay close attention to, for it is in that moment where you can really feel the contrast between being focused outside of the present moment and being focused in the present.

So, how can we practice staying in the present moment?

You can start with meditation. If you close your eyes and focus on your breathing, after a time you will notice that your mind will begin to drift off. This is true of even the most experienced meditators. But if you allow yourself to stay focused and monitor your thoughts, they will begin to slow and you will realize just how much of your mental energy is spent ruminating about the past and fretting about the future. The trick is to then gently return your focus to your breath, back to the present moment.

How can we do that when we are not meditating?

By practicing mindfulness.

Remind me again what mindfulness is.

Mindfulness is awareness of the present moment. It means that you are focused on what you are doing from moment-to-moment. To practice mindfulness, you might start with a simple, habitual activity like washing the dishes and keep your mind focused on that one activity from beginning to end, in much the same way as you would focus on your breath in meditation. Pay close attention to the physical details of the activity – the warm, soapy water, the squishy sponge in your hand, the sound of the plates and the silverware clanking against each other. If you are successful, you will start to notice a difference in the way you feel. Your thoughts will naturally begin to quiet down and may even stop altogether. You will feel more connected to the activity you are involved in and more in tune with life around you. That is why staying in the present moment is so important and that is why your point of power is in the present moment. Because when you are present, your thoughts are quiet, your creative channel to Source energy is open and you are fully experiencing your life. You are at peace.

Is there anything else?

We do not wish to suggest that everything that occurs during routine, habitual behavior is rooted in fear-based thought. Many a useful and creative idea has emerged while maintaining mindfulness during simple tasks. It is said that Einstein discovered the Theory of Relativity while taking a shower. The point is that when you are focused in the present moment, you will begin to really create wondrous things in a truly, conscious manner. As you grow older, you become more and more habituated to the present moment, to the point where you often barely pay attention, especially if you are involved in an activity that you have engaged in many, many times. This is your chance to take back your life, so to speak. This is it. Your life. This moment right now. And you owe it to yourself to commit to it, to the experience of your life, because this is it.

This might be a good place to stop for today.

As you wish. Until next time.

Thank you all.

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