Have you ever heard of FOMO? The acronym stands for “fear of missing out” and I used to be a total pro. Whatever stage of life I was in I couldn’t wait to get to the next part. I remember wishing for high school in middle school, college in high school, “adulting” in college, and so on.
I hadn’t yet learned the power of the present moment.
Present moment practice began for in my early 30s. I read the book The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle and it opened my eyes to the way my constant longing for the next thing was crippling my capacity for joy almost every day.
The first step in this process is to begin noticing when you are living in the future (or the past.) After noticing it for a while, you are then able to stop it a bit sooner in the process, and eventually catch yourself before it even starts.
Despite years of working on this, lately I’ve been falling back into my old habits. Things have been intense with rising restrictions in my area and my friends and family have been directly affected. I find myself helping others keep their balance and peace, but I can feel my own hanging by a thread and can’t help but find myself sometimes wishing for the next chapter in my life when all this crazy is over.
But my practice has taught me that tomorrow never really arrives. We only have access to NOW. My brain gets out of hand sometimes, but when I take the time to slow down and remember my training I bring myself back to the present moment and can usually find some peace. Today this is a reminder to myself as much as it is to you.
With so much turmoil and conflict in our faces every day, a daily practice is more important than ever. What ever your practice looks like (yoga, prayer, meditation, exercise, mindfulness, religion) do it every day. Set aside time in your schedule for the sacred. Cultivate stillness in your daily life.
When things become difficult it’s even more important to get back to basics. Eat well, move your body and quiet your mind every single day. Take dear care of yourself.
I have a few events and opportunities coming up in the next few weeks. Inner Circle live call will be September 28; In person and virtual Nutrition Only Consultations now available; this month’s free class (online and in person) will be September 22; Six Months to Transform Your Life is currently enrolling. Scroll down and click the images or reply to this email to learn more. I hope to see you soon.
Love and Light,
Elizabeth
