It’s Saturday evening and I just put a casserole in the oven for our after-church lunch tomorrow. I often will do some things in advance and I refer to that as ‘blessing my future self’. I often chop onions or celery to throw in the freezer for future meals so I don’t have to take the time to chop stuff while I’m getting dinner put together.
Yes, we hear a lot about staying in the now and being present in this moment. And, yes, I can be present in this moment as I prepare something for my future self.
Eating balanced meals blesses the future self. Taking walks in nature blesses the future self as well as grants peace in this moment. I think we do a lot for our future self without thinking about it.
I think we do a lot of harm for our future self without thinking about it, too. Mindless eating harms the future self. Ruminating about what we could have done in the past (because we are now in the future our past created) harms the self. Anger about what others should have or could have done harms the future self as well as steals this possible precious moment of serenity.
So, being in the now – fully and joyfully, allows us to provide a terrific foundation for our future self! Without mindfulness, we cannot be in the now. That mindfulness excludes worry as worry projects us out of the now and into a remote possibility for what could happen. Regret throws us into the past and out of the mindfulness of the now.
Just because our brain is working, doesn’t mean we are being mindful or in the now. Don’t know if you are in the now or flailing around in time past or not yet come?
Here’s a quick trick to get you back into the now and into mindfulness that blesses the current self and the future self.
Start by noticing something in your world right now. How many pictures are hanging on the wall. Is there a color theme or subject theme? This noticing instantly takes the mind out of worry or ruminating time travel and into this moment of now.
Once in this moment of now, allow your mind to feel the fullness of this present moment. (That’s one reason why they call it mind-full-ness.) Did you feel the shift? Did you feel the flow of energy and power flood into your being? Being mindful allows the heart-space to open as well.
Now, with this open-hearted mindfulness feeling the power flowing into your being, find a gratitude to focus upon.
This does several things for our spiritual being.
First, this mindfulness on gratitude shifts our energy field to resonate and send signals to the Universe (Divine Source, Higher Power, All That Is, I AM) to send more things for which to be grateful!
Second, this mindfulness on gratitude eases fear, worry, hate, and resentment receptors in our being so we can relax into peace.
Third, this mindfulness on gratitude expands the awareness even further. Tuning in to one’s surroundings becomes stronger, easier and more acute. This allows us to sense what’s really going on around us. It opens us to perceiving opportunities for service to others.
And Fourth, this mindfulness on gratitude awakens within us our true purpose for being on this planet now.
If you are breathing, you have purpose. You have value. You hold a significant place in the cosmic jigsaw puzzle.
You are a blessing to your future self and the future of this world.
Hold THAT in mindfulness.