At 4:30 this morning I was jarred into awakening by the sound of my currently empty garbage can hurtling across my back porch to points South. (It was placed there as the least likely spot to be pushed around by winds gusting to 50 mph. Clearly, the wind knew better than I.)
And at that pre-dawn hour, when many unwelcome thoughts clamber into our consciousness, a score of them crowded my mind. They all had to do with the future and with things that in all likelihood would never come to pass. But such is the mindset when we are catapulted into wakefulness from a sound sleep.
Some time later, curled up on the couch with my coffee and happily-fed, drowsy cats, I opened up to read from The Book of Awakening by Mark Nepo. In language far more poetic than my own, he described the ancient human challenge of staying in the miracle that is and not falling into the black hole of what is not. He provided a simple breathing exercise to let go of all the imagined outcomes that are not yet real. In other words, be in the moment. Perfect.
So this evening, just about 12 hours after my abrupt morning awakening, I was working at my desk. The wind continued to wrestle with the trees and I looked out the window to see the magnificent sky pictured above. At first, I thought to continue my work. Then I realized that that sky was the miracle of now, exactly what I had been reading about and reflecting upon. I chose that moment.
Ring-a-ding-ding! Glad to know that I am not the only one with a black hole of fears! I recently tested a few fears and they are just that…unfounded! So I decided to turn that channel off! Great post Jeanne!
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Thanks, Diane. I know for a fact that many people have such fears, but are not accustomed to admitting or discussing them. Plus there are times in our lives when we have less or more; the trick is always to focus on releasing them and being in that sometimes-elusive moment. 🙂
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I must check out Mark Nepo’s book! Thank you for sharing – not just the book but also the exploration of our minds. So lovely to be back here. Sharon
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I know you would love him. There is so much wisdom in his writing. He is a poet, but certainly a metaphysical teacher as well. I’m sure amazon.com ships to you. 🙂
jeanne
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And a beautiful moment it was. I so enjoyed reading this. I, also, wake up in the middle of the night, needing to breathe and remember to just BE IN THE MOMENT.
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I think, with our lives as crazy as they often are, being in the moment is a frequent challenge. But a good one. 🙂
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