are you waiting for life to begin?

For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin--real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life.

Alfred D. Souza

So I completed writing my blog and then I lost it. Computer shut down. So I walked away. I’m back and starting over, luckily found my quote again and moving on. These are the moments, right? These are the things that happen every day that we get to choose, “how am I going to react to this situation?” I could beat myself up and say I know better, or why didn’t I…..? So many ways blame our selves. I just thought I would write about it. Its life and it’s happening now. It’s really about the small things that happen all day long every day. If you can begin to really be present with what’s happening now and now then future and past will not have such a grip on you. You can truly only focus on one thing at a time. It might be a moment here and then a moment there but really it’s one thing at time just happening in quick succession. So if you can slow down the process and stretch out the moments and stay focused longer, ahhhhhh just makes me want to stop, and take a deep breath.

This leads me to the topic which is waiting for life to begin. I’m not going to even try to remember what I wrote. I am going to start now with what comes to me in this moment and go from there. I was taken by the quote because it rang so true for me. Many times I have heard myself say “once I get through this or pay that off, then I will be better off, then good times will be here” It seems that we put off in the distance this great life that we can have if we can finish up or move something out of the way. There is this sense that life is in the way of life when the reality is that it is all life. This thing I am doing right now, this dish that I washing, this traffic I am sitting in----its all part of your journey. All of it is an opportunity for practicing presence. Your obstacles are your way to more understanding. I know you have heard that life is about the journey and not the destination; well it couldn’t be truer. If you can find peace right here and now with the way life is then you can finally have the ultimate gift of everlasting peace. If you see life’s circumstances’ for just that, they are momentary and will soon pass only to have another thing on your plate. If you can separate your happiness from what is in the moment, then you can start living a life that you love.

Today I challenge you to be as excited about right where you are as the idea of where you want to be. Feel the joy for being alive.

Today I am grateful for health. I am grateful for my workouts that not only strengthen my body but clear my mind.