Sometimes the hardest part of my day is reminding myself of the present. Probably the most important thing any of us can do is be present in our lives. But that proves always to be easier said than done.
I suspect in simpler times, it was much easier; everything we did had a direct effect on our survival. Everything we did was effecting the present. Now, we don’t hunt for our food, run from predators, or find emergency shelter during a storm. We go to work, sit in cubes, surf the internet. There is little reason for our minds to stay present; after all, we know that we’ll be sitting in that space for the next eight hours and that nothing of any consequence is likely to happen. Now, our minds are free to wander. Free to think about what we’ll do tomorrow. Encouraged to think about what we want for our lives in the next five years, ten years, after retirement.
But, if we’re living in our thoughts of tomorrow, then who is taking charge of our lives right now? Who is driving? Unconsciousness is driving. Unconsciousness in drivers seat of the present means that choices get made (or don’t get made) at a time when they actually matter, but you’re not there to oversee the changes that are (or aren’t) occurring.
The choices we make in the present, effect what happens to us tomorrow. Our ability to effect and change tomorrow depends on what we do in the present. It is simply a matter of seeing that tomorrow and five years from now does not exist. Yesterday does not exist. They are simply concepts and moments of present that have already passed us by or have yet to occur. When tomorrow comes, will we not see that we are living in it? Will we be sitting around thinking about the next tomorrow?
Living in the present means accepting the current moment just as it is. Making the best of the moment, regardless of where it is or what you’re doing. Sometimes, it may bring us to the realization that the present is not making us happy, but that gives us the chance to actually effect what our tomorrow will be, right?
If we are unconscious in the present, then when the tomorrow we are planning for becomes the present, we will be no more conscious than we were yesterday, for we will still be thinking about tomorrow. The present is the only place to make change a reality. Tomorrow will always be a concept in our minds of which we cannot impact unless we turn our attention to now.
So, take a moment every day to practice recognizing the moment. Remind yourself this it is real and tomorrow is not! It is a difficult practice, very difficult because we are all so well versed in thinking ahead.
How Young Are You? by bluskygirl on September 19th, 2007
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10 Reasons to Eliminate Stress from Your Life by bluskygirl on August 13th, 2007
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5 Reasons Not to Crash-Diet by bluskygirl on August 2nd, 2007
Crash Diets are a way of life these days.
Life Lessons from Football by bluskygirl on October 9th, 2007
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A New Life for an Old Blog? by bluskygirl on November 13th, 2008
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Did you know that your skin is your largest organ? When you stop to think of it that way, it makes more sense why we should take better care of it. Between sun exposure, wind, humidity, lack of humidity, cold weather, rain, tattoos, and everything else- we’re pretty brutal to the organ which protects all others. Some of struggle with acne, dry skin, and even more difficult issues such as psoriasis. Beyond wanting to avoid wrinkles, warts and sun spots there are a multitude of benefits that come with taking good care of our skin. Here are some small, but very effective ways, to start making some positive changes to the quality of your skin. Most of these won’t be new to you, but from time to time, we all need little reminders…
Got any other tips for readers? Share them here! Here’s my Mom’s #1 tip for me about my skin: “Don’t forget to take care of your neck… especially the back of your neck“. I believe this is purely coming from an anti-wrinkle standpoint, but nevertheless, good tip Mom.
5 Reasons Not to Crash-Diet by bluskygirl on August 2nd, 2007
Crash Diets are a way of life these days.
Thank You, My Latte by bluskygirl on July 30th, 2007
OK, so I'll be the first to admit that I generally shrug off any article involving new ways to fight cancer.
America's Education System is Failing in Two Key Places by bluskygirl on September 4th, 2007
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How To Create Your Sacred Space by bluskygirl on August 17th, 2007
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10 Reasons to Get Away for the Weekend by bluskygirl on November 2nd, 2007
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I love traveling. If I could make a career out of it I would. Unfortunately, I have yet to come up with a way to enjoy a career of travel while still enjoying a career of motherhood. Most of us I think tend to get away for a week here or there. Sometimes though it can be hard to get away for that long. Maybe it’s money, time at work- whatever. The fact is though, there is a good reason to get away. We all need it for our sanity. So, what about just a weekend getaway? I am big on weekend traveling. Love it. I am fortunate to live in Colorado, because just an hour or two driving west from where I live dumps me in the heart of the Rocky Mountains where I can camp, boat/water ski, hike, rock climb, snowboard, etc. This weekend I’m traveling to Salida, CO. It’s an “old west” town with a penchant for music, art and outdoor sports. It’s so nice there. My excitement this morning got me thinking, everyone should do this! It’s just a weekend, so it’s doable for nearly everyone. Here are my top ten reasons to get away for the weekend:
SO there you have it; as if you needed 10 reasons to take a weekend trip! Do some searching and find something that’s not to far from where you live (but still far enough away for it to feel “foreign”), pick an activity and then jump in your car on Friday afternoon. I truly value my little getaways, and I think everyone should incorporate them into their life. Happy Friday….
**Photo of Pagosa Springs, CO.
If I Were President by bluskygirl on October 18th, 2007
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As a woman, I am aware everyday of my body. As an American Woman, I am particularly aware of its flaws. My awareness begins when I wake up and put clothes on, then repeatedly throughout the day when I eat. It can sometimes be overwhelming to be expending so much energy on something such as this, but it is nevertheless, a huge part of my day.
I would never claim to know what or how all women think, but most of the women I know are just like me; Forever fighting an ongoing struggle to be or look like someone we’re not. It’s a difficult habit to break too, because we are inundated with images that remind us of what we “should” look like.
In the last two weeks, I’ve started to become far more aware of how much energy it takes to worry about and think about my body image and the need to change it. Last week, my focus was on just not thinking about it any more. Eliminating it as a focus in my daily life was an incredible change. Until it was gone, I had no idea how much time I spent feeling guilty. I began to wonder how long I have been dieting, and I realized that since about 7th grade, I have never stopped. Yikes. Needless to say, it was an uplifting experience.
This week I have focused on acceptance. Realistically, I have always known in my heart that no matter how much fretting and dieting and worrying and anger and guilt I put on myself about my body, I’m never going to fit the American image of a woman. Personally, the older I get the less I want to. I don’t really want to weigh 80 pounds and walk around with my hip bones poking out of my jeans. This is something I think all women realize deep down somewhere that they are unique; the trick is being proud of the uniqueness rather than punishing yourself for it. Bringing it into your conscious thought is difficult though because we have years of programming that tells us we are unacceptable.
Here’s how I have changed my thinking. I remind myself in the morning that this is Me, and this body is mine. There’s a line from the movie The Secret that I often think about. It is the idea that our life today is a residual of our past actions and choices. I remind myself that while I accept myself today exactly as I am, I am also making choices today that will affect my tomorrow- that I am living today to improve my tomorrow. Making this daily assertion allows me to make proper, healthy decisions about my life; whether its about body image or attitude or something else.
In this way I have learned to think different- not just about my body and my body-image, but to also successfully believe what I’ve always known: that my body is what it is and getting caught in the trap of trying to be something akin to a Cosmo magazine is neither healthy nor realistic. You see, even though I knew this, there was programming going on in my brain that still made it difficult for me to truly believe. So, here I am today. I am less stressed out; I feel no guilt for eating a bowl of oatmeal in the morning; I spend almost no time thinking about food or dieting; I feel free.
Earlier this week, Goddess was tagged to participate in the Think Different Challenge by Peter at I Will Change Your Life. Visit Peter’s site for information on how to participate. I tag the following:
So, here’s to thinking differently. Thanks to Peter at Iwillchangeyourlife.com for the great idea, too.
Best Advice from Your Cat: This is MY Life! by bluskygirl on August 31st, 2007
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How To Find Contentment in Your Daily Life by bluskygirl on September 26th, 2007
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The Present is a Gift by bluskygirl on October 16th, 2009
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Life Lessons from Football by bluskygirl on October 9th, 2007
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Why it's Worth Fighting the Cosmo-Girl Image by bluskygirl on July 24th, 2007
If someone were to ask me to describe the "ideal woman" by society's standards, I would say just look on the cover of a magazine.
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So, I thought to compliment a post earlier this week on the 5 power fruits we should eat everyday, I would give a little love to the vegetable world. Here are my top 5 veggies I try to always have in my refrigerator. Vegetables are like free food. They don’t cost you anything, and you have so much to gain in health. The more you eat them the more your body craves them. I have removed much of my grain/starchy foods and replaced them with vegetables. It has made a huge difference in my health.
When buying veggies, organic is best (especially bell peppers and broccoli) and make sure to lightly steam your vegetables rather than boil them. All the good stuff tends to leach out into the water when they’re boiled. If you’re on a budget (and lets face it, who isn’t) frozen veggies is good alternative to fresh. Definitely go with frozen over canned. These are my favorites, but I also eat tons of cucumber, artichokes and other leafy greens. I hate tomatoes (another veggie imposter), but I know that they’re good for us. Adding a healthy amount of vegetable servings can only be a good thing, and when you consider that almost no vegetables “cost” any calories, they’re even better! So, here’s to happier, healthier eating. And on that note, We the change has a great article on how to get the most out of your food, regardless of what it is! I recommend checking it out.
America's Education System is Failing in Two Key Places by bluskygirl on September 4th, 2007
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To Be or Not To Be Caffeinated by bluskygirl on August 9th, 2007
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Debating Organic Foods by bluskygirl on August 13th, 2007
Now days it's a whole lot easier to find organic foods.
5 Power Fruits to Eat Everyday by bluskygirl on October 1st, 2007
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5 Reasons Not to Crash-Diet by bluskygirl on August 2nd, 2007
Crash Diets are a way of life these days.
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