(This is the 1st of the Eight Universal Principles for Stepping up to the Edge by Baron Baptiste taken from his book - “Journey into Power”.)
Photo Credit: Unsplash / Samuel Austin
“All that we really have is the moment that is right here, right now, in front of us. The past is a memory that no longer exists. The future is a fantasy which has yet to exist. Both are not places they are esentially nowhere.
Coming into your body and paying attentions to your breath is the key to anchoring your breath back to the present moment. Simply follow your breath back into the present moment and let go of all that isn’t happening right here, right now.”
As I’m writing this, I’m presently conscious of my fingers typing furiously on the keyboard and speaking to myself out loud. (to the detriment of my husband’s sensitive ears as he says it sounds like the elephants and the bees has come for tea.)
And always, thoughts will intrude and sometimes bother me so much that nothing I write make sense. In fact a few weeks ago, I wondered “who am I to write about Baptiste Yoga? What if I say the wrong thing?”
And whilst I was assisting a program over the weekend, I thought to myself “what’s the point of me being there? Who am I? No one! I can’t do this. My body isn’t strong enough. What if I failed to live up to expectations?”
I’ve fears of not being good enough and not being worthy, of being a failure, of being judged…. I have a long list of concerns that stops me from seeing the possibilities of leaping over the edge.
I’d like to proclaim that it’s easy to choose to be NOW HERE or in our NOWHERE world AND most times we don’t have a choice. We can’t stop thinking. We are human beings after all, born to think.
And someone, I can’t recall who, said we might as well, call ourselves human thinkers.
The human thinkers we are - our thoughts are like our movies of past and future, which lives in our head. We love our stories. The stories of what ifs and what if nots. We live in a drama of worrying of what’s going to happen next week, or what he or she thinks of me; disappointing them; angry with that person or how unfair life is, feeling guilt and shame over what has been done……
And consider that our thoughts are real but not true.
“It’s tragic that our lives are filled with so much possibilities and the movies in our mind keep us in prison.”
There is a space in between “NOW HERE" or “NOWHERE”.
Do you see it?
Being in the NOW HERE is not to stop the thoughts. But to begin to notice the space between our thoughts and taking a pause with no judgement nor attachment to those thoughts.
You are not your thoughts!
Being NOW HERE is about you giving yourself permission to invite more love and kindness in that space. And when you have loving kindness in your inner space, grace and gratitude will flow.
You are not your thoughts!
Being NOW HERE and creating that sacred space is the first essential step to step past our edge and into the fire. Because what actually stops us from leaping off the edge are fears, doubts and worries, which is the basis of the movies in our heads.
You are not your thoughts!
By choosing to be NOW HERE, you are choosing to drop the fears.
It’s not about running away from the thoughts, but being aware of the thoughts that come up. Not to judge but to bring your kind attention to the present moment.
You are not your thoughts!
You have the choice to be NOW HERE, with what’s coming up for you right now.
And sure, you will forget to be NOW HERE, that I can guarantee you - and the home movies will keep on playing.
“You are not your thoughts! ”
And…..
Whenever you find yourself struggling or drifting off, thinking about the past or worrying about the future, re-anchor and follow your breath back to your physical body.
Pause. Slow down. Breathe. Feel every sensation, see what’s around you, appreciate what is RIGHT HERE, in the present moment.
The past don’t matter and the future has not arrived yet.
Be with your family.
Be with people.
Be with yourself.
Be with nature.
Just be where you are, and just let it be.
Be willing to be HERE, now in the present moment.
Photo Credit: Unsplash / Marion Michele
This week, do the work of being NOW HERE; when you wake up, when you are on the train, at work; when you are with your partner, your kids, your family; when you are practicing yoga and when you meditate; when you are walking, taking a shower, when you are alone; wherever you are especially when you notice your hone movie starting - FOCUS ON THE PRESENT MOMENT.
Journal THIS:
Where in my life am I fully present? In my job? With my partner or kids? When I’m working? When I’m alone?
Where in my life am I hiding? In other words, where do I privately know that I need to take more responsibility & or become fully present?
“A small, steady drip of water can erode a boulder over the course of many years. When you come into the now, you become present to one moment and make a tiny shift, and then the next, and then the next, and before you know it, you have you moved your mountain.
”