Thursday 12 May 2011

Peace in this moment

Regret. Worry. Those twin terrors that pull us in opposite directions, past and future, and yet both work together to draw us away from the present. What good can come from either?

Why did I say that? Why did I neglect to do that?

What if I fail my children? What if I mess up my marriage?

Why?

What if?


Too many days have I spent wallowing in regret over the past or consumed by worry over the future. An intentional life demands that I live fully here, fully now, accepting the present moment for what it is.

I am neither in the past nor yet in the future. I am in this moment and it is all that I have right now. What can I do to bring peace in this moment? What can I do to encourage, comfort, or extend kindness? How can I fill this moment with joy - or find the joy already present in it?

What can I do in this moment to live the life I desire to live? to be the person I desire to be?

Rather than dwelling on past regrets, can I...
  • seek healing?
  • find gratitude?
  • repent and move on?
  • apologize to someone?
  • engage with my children?
  • perform an act of kindness?

Instead of worrying about the future, can I...
  • make a plan?
  • take action?
  • begin a project?
  • invest in a relationship?
  • focus fully on what I am doing?
  • engage all of my senses in the moment?

A life spent living from one moment to the next cannot co-exist with a life of past regrets or future worries. My journey towards a more intentional life has forced me to choose between the two, and I choose the former. I choose a life of presence and gratitude over regret and worry, and it is good.

Breathe. Embrace the moment.

And then move on to the next one.

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow,
for tomorrow will worry about itself.
Each day has enough trouble of its own."
Matthew 6:34

7 comments:

  1. Thank you so much! All night I was wrestling with nagging doubts and worries. I breathed in peace as I read your post. <3

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  2. I like this. Starting in my early teens I decided regret was a waste of energy. I simply focus on not doing things I'll regret and not wallowing in mistakes.

    Worry is another story for me. I've recently been diagnosed as being borderline OCD when it comes to worrying about my kids. But one day I will master that, too . . .

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  3. This post is extremely helpful and inspiring to me as I prepare for a vbac with my second child (any moment, actually...).
    Thank you.

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  4. Thank-you for posting this. It is so true. If we feel uncomfortable with something -do something about it. Our feelings should motivate us to act, either to forgive or repent, to go, or to pray, and in those moments we are waiting- to praise God, and just enjoy His presence just doing being creative with what is in front of us. I like to say: Look at this moment as though it is a canvas. Paint on it different colors. Every moment we can find and live our purpose. God bless!

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  5. Thanks so much for this post! I was watching podcasts about peace yesterday, so reading your post is timely.

    Hadn't made the connection but now I've read Kate's comments - I'll keep this in mind myself because as yet I haven't got peace over our birth plans... possibly not as imminent as Kate but you are so right and thanks for a reminder about the "do not worry about tomorrow" scripture. I think this must be something I will pray over in the coming weeks. xx

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  6. I really needed to read this today.

    As life gets busy, hectic and exciting I am forever reminding myself to slow down. Enjoy this moment because no other will match it.

    I worry about money and miss that my kids are finally playing nicely together. Or I'm ranting on angrily about something totally out of my control and destroying my own peace....which is entirely within my control.

    I always remind myself that the only THING I can control at any given time ( I'm a control freak) is my reaction to a situation. It is my responsibility to experience, react and then recover the best. Always.

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  7. Thanks for this post - I just came across it today, when I needed this reminder again (I seem to be a slow learner with this life lesson...). This is something I've been thinking a LOT about lately - see this post: http://rebeccaseiling.blogspot.com/2011/05/right-here-right-now.html. I watch my kids play, and watch birds/animals go about their merry way and think: I want that. I want to live in the moment, to enjoy the gifts today brings, and to worry and stress less. Thanks again!

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