Excerpts taken from a seminar done at Natural Comfort in 2016

“You can learn from the past and imagine a beautiful future,
but you must live in the here-and-now”
Colette Baron-Reid

Whenever you set your sights too far ahead, you run the risk of losing your footing, for rarely do the Present and Future match up exactly in your life story.  The Future has no substance right now; it is a place that has no grounding yet.  You can’t live there, yet you can take measured steps toward a goal or a dream.

The same goes for Nostalgia.  You can look into the Past wistfully and remember beautiful moments or revisit lessons learned.  However, you can’t live there, nor can you change what was.  Yesterday is gone forever.  There is no point in longing for that which has already gone.

Live fully in the Present.  The “now” is the most powerful place to put your attention.  Its magic reaches out in every direction, further than the heart and soul can see.  Live one day at a time.  Each day is a new beginning filled with truth and beauty.  Find joy in what is present in your life today.

Here and Now is the only reality.  The past is a story we tell based upon hazy recollections.  The future is a daydream produced by our hopes and fears.  No matter how difficult the present may seem to us, it is inevitably richer than any fantasy of the future or memory of the past.  These are only virtual realities. They have no substance.  Here and Now is always preferable, because only here and now IS. This is where Life is really happening. 

 We are always Here and Now but our attention is often lost in regrets about the past and anxieties about the future. We must learn to be fully present in what we are doing and really hear, see and feel in each moment instead of being lost in our thoughts about life.  ….  If you need help learning how to do this, spend time with a young child.  They understand how to appreciate the magic of each moment.

It may sound silly to us when someone says, “Live in the Present Moment”  because we may think that if we are somewhere physically, how could we not be present?  In reality, many of us are rarely fully in the present moment, because we are always either thinking about the past or constantly planning the future.  When we continuously dwell on and live in the past, what happens is that we recreate it as part of our present experience.  Even though the people, places and things from our past experiences may have come and gone—in fact, even if they no longer exist—if we are perpetually reliving them in our present reality, they make up not just our past, but they become part of our present reality as well.

On the other hand, there are some people that always focus on the future by looking for the next thing to satisfy them. However, many of these people are rarely satisfied, because they aren’t able to enjoy their present experience long enough due to the fact they are constantly looking towards the next thing to satisfy them!

When we are present, we are at our most powerful.  It’s the present moment where we are able to manifest our desires the most quickly.  It is the present moment that is our reality.

“Mindfulness means paying attention on purpose, in the present moment,
with qualities like compassion, curiosity and acceptance.”
Shamash Alidina

Through being mindful, you discover how to live in the present moment in an enjoyable way rather than worrying about the past or being concerned about the future.  The past has already gone and can’t be changed.  The future is yet to arrive and is completely unknown.  The present moment is ultimately the only moment you have.  Mindfulness shows you how to live in this moment in a harmonious way. You find out how to make the present moment a more wonderful moment to be in—the only place you can create, decide, listen, think, smile, act or live.

Mindfulness is a translation of the ancient Indian word, Sati, which means
Awareness ~ Attention ~ Remembering

 IF NOT “NOW”, WHEN?

If you do what you’ve always done, you get what you’ve always gotten

Quantum Physics has proven the energy within and around our mind/body/spirit

What we think, feel, and do right now
Sets the future we will find ourselves in.

In every nano-second, we can choose something else which will alter that future.This is why being in the Present is the most powerful place to be in.

Things to consider when committing to being Present and creating the most joyful life we can possibly imagine:

Aligning with our Highest Good and Highest Power
Power of Joy
Power of Love
Positive Intentions
Attitude of Gratitude and Appreciation
Blessings and Positive Affirmations
Miracles and Magic

JOY sets our blessings, miracles and dreams in motion
LOVE sustains them

How do we increase our daily experience of Joy?

ACTIVITIES TO HELP YOU STAY IN THE PRESENT

The more of these you do each day, the more in alignment with life you’ll become.  Then watch how your life becomes more magical and meaningful.

¨ Breath Work

¨ Visualizations such as Smiling Heart or Miracle Shower to bring in peace, joy and excitement with being alive

¨ Mantras and Positive Affirmations

¨ Offering Gratitude and Thanks

¨ Increasing Natural Elements in your environment such as flowers, colours, music, sunshine, aromas, crystals

¨ Releasing the Past with saying:  That was then; This is now;  And Now I choose  _________ for myself.

¨ Mindfulness Meditations

¨ Playing with Young Children or with Pets

¨ Feeling the Earth/Water under your feet;  the Sun/Wind on your body;  the Rain on your face;  really feel and appreciate your       ,       physical presence

¨ Paying attention to your Five Senses

¨ Use the word, NOW, to remind you to pay attention, be aware and remember your experiences in this world

¨ Be creative through art, gardening, tending others, music, writing, painting, dancing, cooking, sports, exercise and anything that     brings you JOY