In this moment I just need to write. I just need to shut everyone and everything out. I just need to complete one, just one, whole mental thought! It’s not even 6:30 am and I feel bombarded by outside voices and unneeded noise.
This morning I woke for the day at 5 am and saw 65 unopened text messages on my phone. I don’t know if you will understand this feeling, but when I see those notifications it’s as if they are yelling at me. “Open Me! Read Me! Respond to Me! Me, Me, Me!” The funny part is, the majority of the messages are not even addressing or responding to me. You might ask, “Why are you getting them then, Joy?” I’ve asked this very question many times. When I have the answer I’ll let you know. And let’s not even talk about our email mailbox! I swear, unsubscribing to junk mail is a full-time job!
As you can see, I need an unsubscribe button for many things in my life and today feels especially needed. Lately I’ve been thinking about the importance of living in the moment. After reading what I just wrote, I think you can agree, most of us need to do this.
Noise! We live in a world of noise. It’s so easy for our inner voice to be either influenced by the rhetoric it encounters or for it to be completely drowned out. We forget who we are. We stop questioning, challenging the thoughts we have. Ultimately we become less inwardly connected. This is the point I want to focus on.
Do you feel connected to yourself? Do you know who you are outside of the labels placed on you? How would you describe yourself if you were 100% honest? I am guessing if you challenged yourself to complete this mental exercise the results would surprise you. When I become unconnected to my inward self I feel agitated. I feel uneasy. Why? Because I am focusing on too many outside influences. I am becoming too focused on things that are not right for me. I begin to change myself to fit an image not designed for me. This is when we can lose our identity.
Over the years, as often times happens when growing up, I have lost my identity. I allowed it to be changed based on other’s words and influence on me. At the time I was still developing myself. I was still changing into the woman I wanted to be. I didn’t know myself well enough to stand firm in who and what I was. Today I have a much better grasp of who I am regardless of anyone or anything, but I am still human. And if I don’t stay vigilant in my own pursuit, outside influences can begin to make me question my path.
One image that comes to mind is a horse with it’s blinders on. I’ll be the first to say, I am no horse expert. I’ve only been on the huge animal two times in my life and they honestly scare me. They just seem too wise, too big, and way too fast for me. So what are horse blinders? They are leather pieces that are placed on either side of the horse’s head next to their eyes. This keeps the horse from seeing what is beside them. There are many different types and reasons for a horse to wear blinders, but for this illustration I am talking about blinders used for pulling a carriage. Horses pulling carriages often times are in tourist destinations. One popular destination for a carriage ride is New York City. As you can imagine, there is a lot of lights, noises, and activity usually happening in these areas. Because of this, it is important the horse pulling the carriage remains focused on their job. If it’s startled by something happening near it, it could easily feel the need to bolt and potentially hurt itself and the passengers. The blinders help to avoid this dangerous scenario. They keep the horse focused on what is happening right in front of them.
Horses, like us, are curious and can become distracted. Bright lights, noises, and activity do what they are intended for, they get our attention! And if we’re not aware, we can easily be led astray or worse yet, bolt and either endanger ourselves or the ones closest to us – people that depend and trust us.
What are you looking at? Are you staying focused on who you are and who you are becoming? Are you honest with yourself? Do you have courage to challenge those inward thoughts? When we refocus our attention on our true selves we will find inward peace that will intern allow us to live in the present moment. It’s kind of like a domino effect. Focus on who you truly are. When you accept yourself you become at peace with who you are because you no longer carry the burden of proving yourself. You are you and who you are is enough. When you allow yourself to be enough you are focused on NOW. You see life for what it is. It is a beautiful and healthy feeling to be happy with the now. Now is enough and this is where I want to keep my gaze.
“Not reaching back for what was lost in my yesterdays. And not reaching for what I hope will be in my tomorrow. But living fully with what is right in front of me. And truly seeing the gift of this moment.” Lysa Terkeurst.
Below are a few ways I practice staying present.
- Put down the phone and cut back on screen time. By limiting screen time you are creating space for yourself to connect deeper to the current moment.
- Practice mindful movement through yoga, running, and dancing. Find the movement that helps you feel grounded, positive, and centered. Remind yourself that movement shouldn’t feel murderous. It should feel good and make you feel better about yourself. If you are doing something that is making you feel worse get it out of your life!
- Journal about what you are experiencing and feeling. This allows you to explore your inner world by writing down your thoughts. It can provide amazing clarity and perspective as you allow your inner thoughts to be expressed.
- Take a walk outside in nature. Take a deep breathe and look at your surroundings. What do you see? What do you hear? What do you feel? This is a great way to quite your mind and appreciate the current moment.
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