May 31     

Today's quotation:

Living in the moment means letting go of the past and not waiting for the future.  It means living your life consciously, aware that each moment you breathe is a gift.

Oprah Winfrey

Today's Meditation:

This moment, right now, is the only moment over which you have any control in your entire lifetime.  And right now, just a moment later, another moment has arrived-- and the first moment, during which you read the first sentence here, can never be gotten back again.

Right here and right now, your life is very rich.  There are many sights and sounds and tastes and smells to experience, if you choose to do so.  Or there's work to be done towards which you can put your full attention and effort.  Or there may even be something slightly interesting to read with this moment.  As long as you're aware of what you're doing and not worrying about something from tomorrow or regretting something from yesterday, you have a very good chance of getting the most from this moment-- and thus a very good start on getting the most out of life.  For life, of course, is a progression of moments, and how we live each moment will eventually determine how we live our lives.

I'm breathing right now-- regularly and deeply, without needing any helping apparatus.  That's something for which I can be grateful.  But I can be grateful only if I'm conscious of the fact that my breath truly is a gift, for without that conscious awareness there really is no living in the moment.  Without the awareness of what surrounds us and what we have, how can we possibly be grateful for the gifts we've been given?

The past is gone-- let's leave it where it belongs.  The future isn't here yet-- we can plan for it, but let's deal with it when it gets here.  Life is about right now, and when we can live our lives focused on the right now, they will become rich indeed-- and our positive influence on others will grow stronger still.

Questions to consider:

Do you tend to live in the past, the future, or the right now?  Why?

Why is it so easy to keep our minds and attention focused on the past or on what might be coming tomorrow?

How often do you think of the breath you breathe--and your ability to breathe--as a gift?

For further thought:

We are all dangling in mid-process between what already happened (which is just a memory) and what might happen (which is just an idea).  Now is the only time anything happens.  When we are awake in our lives, we know what's happening.  When we're asleep, we don't see what's right in front of us.

Sylvia Boorstein

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