Life Is NOW

Stress is caused by being “here” but wanting to be “there,” or being in the present but wanting to be in the future.
-Eckhart Tolle, The Power of Now
One of the first books I ever read from cover to cover (and actually enjoyed) was The Power of Now. My homegirl Beth recommended it, and it’s a book I find myself returning to often, especially at the beginning of a new year when fresh ideas, goals, and resolutions start to arise.
We live in a world fueled by worry, multitasking, and overthinking, and I spend a lot of time trying to find peace in the middle of all that noise. To combat the constant battles in my mind, I remind myself of one simple truth:
Life is now.
In the book, someone asks a spiritual teacher what time it is, and the response is: “Now. What other time could it be?”
Now on the surface, it’s like… bra

But on a deeper level, it’s like… yeaaaaaaa!!!!
Because when you really think about it, all we have is RIGHT NOW!
In this society, our minds are rarely here. We’re usually replaying something that happened yesterday, ten years ago, or fantasizing about the fun we’re going to have on our next vacation. And what does that do? It creates worry, anxiety, or causes us to completely zone out. Meanwhile, the present moment (the only moment that actually exists) slips right past us.
When we’re not present, opportunities get missed. Ideas get postponed. Action items get pushed to tomorrow… next year… or never. And before we know it, time has passed and we’re wondering how we even got here. It’s a whole thing child!!
And I know this because I am that person. 

I replay conversations over and over in my head like a song on repeat. I analyze how someone might have felt. I question whether my intentions came across the right way. I imagine scenarios that may not even be true. And when I really sit with it, I realize it’s all assumption. All worry. Completely pointless!
That’s where The Power of Now came through for ya girl.
This book began my journey toward being more present, more focused, less stressed, and less regretful. It taught me that true joy, peace, and power are only found by accepting the present moment, because it’s the only thing we actually have.
There is no past anymore. It already happened.
There is no future yet. It hasn’t arrived.
All we have is now.
When I remind myself of that, it grounds me. It gives me confidence. It slows my overthinking mind. It pulls me out of imaginary problems and places me back into real life which is where I can actually take action, feel gratitude, and create what I want my future to look like.
Life isn’t waiting for us somewhere down the road.
Life isn’t happening after the next goal, the next job, the next relationship, or the next vacation.
Life is happening now.
And the more I choose to be present, the more peaceful and powerful my life becomes.
On me!
Keitha aka Kei (the biggest)