WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

Seriously, What are you doing? Are you doing something toward your ideal life? Are you relaxing? Are you filling your time with some mindless endeavor? I’ve done that plenty, don’t get me wrong.

I’m asking the question because sometimes working toward a specific outcome seems to push us farther away from the result we’re looking for. I’m sure that sounds familiar to many people. The prize seems eternally out of reach and working harder only serves to frustrate us.

I’ve been a goal setter as long as I can remember and it has been a frustrating endeavor, to say the least. I’ve always shot for the moon, never reaching it, but at least I’ve landed among the stars. There are so many cliches about setting and attaining goals and it seems like I’ve heard them all, but that’s not what this is about.

I’ve discovered the art of letting go. It’s an art because it is difficult to perfect. It’s not easy to let go and let things happen naturally. I’m not talking about giving up, that’s different. I’m talking about letting go. Let go of things that no longer serve your purpose. Let go of old habits. Let go of negative self-talk and situations. Let go of the baggage that you’ve been carrying with you, it’s a sign of living in the past . That’s right, living in the past. We all live in the past to some degree.

The future is another cause of anxiety, and one I need to learn to let go of. The best way I have found to let go is through meditation and mindfulness. It doesn’t have to be anything formal with a specific position or place. Take it where you can; sitting in traffic, waiting for an appointment. Anytime is the best time to enter into the present moment of Now.

I’ve been working on this my entire adult life and still I don’t have it perfected, though I keep trying. I have found that the more dedicated I am to practicing mindfulness, to more gifts come my way and one of my mantras is to never to refuse a gift.

So, my answer to the question is, I am practicing mindfulness. I am letting go. I am living in the moment of Now and accepting all gifts that are offered to me.