December 14, 2007

I used to be obsessed with things that happened in the past. I would lay awake at night and replay conversations or situations from the day (or previous days) that had not gone well. I could literally fall asleep thinking of all of the things that I could have or should have said or done which would have created a different outcome. As one regret would fade into oblivion, another would be there to take its place. Rather than emotionally experiencing the situation once, I would relive it full force, again and again.

Another one of my pastimes was to worry about the future. "Ah, let's play a great game of 'what if.' The game of 'what if' consists of....well, to put it simply...Worrying! "Panic now...beat the rush!!!" Even though 99% of the things about which I would worry never come to fruition, I would spend hours spinning a potential situation into the worst possible outcomes. The problem with this kind of mental pastime is that it causes fear and pain and does not lead to the creation of anything good and positive and wonderful.

Of course, obsessing about the future is just as useless as obsessing about the past. The only real power we have is in the present. If you find yourself dwelling in either the past or the future, use your mental focus to gently bring yourself back to the present. Bless your past and prepare for your future, but use your energy in the "here and now" to create the life that you fully desire. Your "present" is powerful. And so are you. And so it is.