Ad
Columnists View from the Center Bear Smart The Travel Troubleshooter Dear Abby Student Aide Of Sound Mind Others Say Powerful solutions You are What You Eat Out Standing in the Fields What's up in Durango Skies Watch Yore Topknot Local First RE-4 Education Update MECC Cares for kids

Choose to exist, cherish where you are now

Jennifer Roe

Appreciating where we are in this moment and what we have in our present life can be a challenging concept. As a society, we seem to be caught up in the idea that our happiness lies in our future self; our happiness lies in a distant, far-off place.

Have you ever thought or said the words, “Once I accomplish ..., I will be good,” “I will be happy when ...” or “I will be satisfied as soon as ...”?

What if rather than existing in a place that has not even happened yet, we chose to exist and cherish where we are now?

I know, it sounds strange. We are overachievers, we compare ourselves to others, we are always striving for more, we thrive in our distractions. We get caught up in our busyness and our stories but, what happens when we come toward the end of our lives and we look back? Do we want to remember the hours we stressed and worked ourselves into a tizzy? Do we want to remember the distractions of screens and social media and things that aren’t real?

Or, do we want to remember our connections with the people we love, the laughter shared? Do we want to remember our real-life experiences that bring us joy; the things we had a passion for; the knowledge we gained, the moments and adventures we lived?

As a culture, I believe that many of us are not connected to ourselves. We don’t know what it means or feels like to be embodied. We are often in such a state of stress, a constant state of busyness and distractedness, we don’t know where to even begin to find that inner peace or what if feels like to be fulfilled within ourselves; to be comfortable in our own skin.

True happiness comes from within and is something that is achievable and when we are present, we can learn to appreciate everything around us, that much more. Yes, it requires work, yes it requires conscious action and conscious choices. But, please hear me when I say, it is worth every bit of the time and dedication to get there.

I encourage you to take a few deep breaths and think about the questions below and then take the time to sit with your answers:

  • What attributes do you appreciate about yourself right now?
  • What do you love in your life right now?
  • What puts a smile on your face in this present moment?
  • What are your distractions? Do they leave you feeling fulfilled or are they simply a means of escape?
  • Are you currently happy? If not, what is preventing you from feeling this way? What changes can you make to get there?

These questions are simply an indicator of where you are currently and to notice what comes up for you. Does your mind rush to answer these questions, or are you able to take some deep breaths and really feel into your answers? Presence within ourselves is so very important and it takes practice.

When we can take a moment to set aside the distractions, slow down the mind and feel into something through our bodies, we are allowing our answers to come from within.

Believe me, I am one of the first people to encourage setting goals for yourself, for dreaming big and creating a life beyond your dreams! However, if you aren’t present and able to find contentment within yourself; once that dream is achieved, will you truly appreciate it or will it always be about what is next and about attempting to find happiness through something outside yourself?

Jennifer Roe is a master level Red Hat Qigong practitioner, an integrative nutritional health and wellness coach, a facilitator of women’s circles, programs and more. For more information, visit www.thehealingroe.com.