“Practice this. Every action you take today, no matter how little… give it weight. Put some space around it. Start it intentionally, with the intention to be mindful, to inhabit that action fully, to notice with all of your senses the entire moment. When the action is done, don’t just rush to the next one, but take half a second to appreciate what you just experienced. Then move to the next with equal weight and space. If you don’t start treating this next action like it’s just as important as what’s coming later, you might never.”
Leo Babauta
Beyond the Quote (24/365)
So many things in life lose their weight when you learn to redistribute that weight to the present moment. What gives different thoughts, feelings, and situations in your life weight? Your mind. When you feel really drawn down and heavy from tough emotional situations, it’s because your mind is giving those tough emotional thoughts all of its weight.
If you are feeling really stressed out about projects that have to get done, it’s because your mind is actively adding more and more weight to the urgency and importance of the projects. When you feel the ‘weight of the world on your shoulders’ that’s figuratively being created by the weight of the mind. Your ability to be mindful of and connect to the present moment is your ability to ‘lighten your load’ and ‘put down’ the weight that is being carried by your mind at any given time.
To demonstrate this point, think about a time when you felt angry, resentful, upset, regretful, or just stuck in your head replaying something that happened to you over and over again versus how you felt when you were witness to a beautiful sunset, or an incredible night sky, or an awe-inspiring mountain scene? Can you feel how different the weight of each of those situations is? One weighs you down and the other lifts you up.
The major difference between the two situations? Mindfulness. In the first situation you’re in your head adding more and more weight to challenging situations and in the second, you’re totally in the moment embracing what actually IS. What’s important to note, however, is that you don’t have to be surrounded by beautiful scenery to immerse yourself in the present (it’s just easier because it’s so captivating)—connecting to the present moment is an option that is available to you at any time.
In his book, The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle makes a case (and an incredibly persuasive one) that our ability to alleviate suffering in our lives is directly connected to our ability to re-connect to the NOW—in other words, our ability to be present-minded. Problems with relationships? It’s likely that both parties need to get out of their own heads and listen and communicate more presently. Are you stressed? Stress is caused by being ‘here’ but wanting to be ‘there,’ or being in the present but wanting to be in the future. Complaining? To complain is always nonacceptance of what IS. And the list goes on.
And don’t get it twisted, being present minded is not about ignoring challenges and looking at beautiful scenery. But rather about taking the weight of your mind away from the problems (which are mostly caused by the mind) and moving that weight to things that can help you with solutions—like being fully present for things that help improve your mood, free up thinking space, or better connect to your real emotions. So take a load off! Let your mind rest and notice—with all of your senses—the entire moment that you’re in. It may very well be the best thing you could do for the moment that is about to come.
Read Next: 8 Osho Quotes on Living in the Moment. THIS Moment. Right Now.
Don't Let the Motivation Stop There...!
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