Thursday, March 24, 2011

8B-Be present

Topic 9A will be Let Go of the Past.  Visit the blog tomorrow to get your fieldwork and questions!

If you are reading the blog for the first time, welcome!  If you are a regular visitor and you did the fieldwork from topic 8A, what did you find?  Where do you spend most of your time?  Do you need to work on spending more time in the present? 

By living more in the present, it can open us up to a more fulfilling life.  We are be able to truly experience what life has to offer.  Living in the present does not mean you can't set goals and have aspirations for your future and it does not mean you can't think about the past.  It means you set future goals and work on those and you appreciate what has happened to you in the past but you don't dwell on things that have already taken place.

Today, I drove to Charlotte and had plenty of time to work on being more present.  So often when driving I am on autopilot and I use the time in the car to plan things, go over my to do list or to think over things I have done or could have handled better.  It was a constant challenge to really focus on everything going on around me and to stay in the present moment.  What I noticed the most was that each time I brought myself to the present moment, I became more relaxed.  When I think about the past or the future, I tend to hang onto tension and it was great to be present and let that go.  Today, I saw more clouds, billboards, cars and trees than I have in a long time!!

For everyone, what you feel may be very different.  By being aware and noticing how you feel, you can begin to cater your choices to what works best for you!

Questions:
Either think about the answers or journal about your thoughts.
- How can you find your balance of planning for the future and setting goals while still living in the present?
- Where do you spend most of your time?  Past, present or future?
- What do you need to do to be more present in your own life?
- How can you let go of the past and realize it is over and live more in the present moment?
- Think back to at least one time today when you were truly present.
- How did it make you feel?
- How can you spend more time in that space?

Fieldwork:
8B-Really work on being more present the rest of the week.  Make a choice to leave the past behind and not to spend too much time in the future.  Just be 100% present.  Notice the difference between when you are present and when you are being pulled one way or the other.

Bonus Challenge:
Give up one thing that is holding you back from living in the present moment.  What are you holding onto and what do you need to let go of?

Quote of the week:
Terri Guillemets- Don't let the past steal your present.

Enjoy the journey!
Coach Gaye

Monday, March 21, 2011

8A- Be present!

Hi everyone,
I hope you are enjoying the blog.  Topic 7 leads into the topic this week.  Being present.  If we are not taking things personally and are not reacting personally(topic 7), we are on our way to handling things in the present.  This week we will look at how we can live more in the present moment.  If we can live in the present, the past won't interfere with how we react to situations and the future will not occupy an excess amount of our time.  We will find our perfect balance between the three.

By being present, we allow ourselves to just feel our most current feelings and we are not dragged down by things we should have done or things we need to do.  We don't react based on past feelings or emotions and we don't spend our time thinking about things we wish we would have done or things we could have handled differently.

When I think back to the times I have enjoyed the most, whether with kids, family or friends, it is the times I am most present that stand out as the best for me.  I am truly able to enjoy myself the most when I just let myself be in the moment.  When I leave behind the things I should have done or the things I need to do, the present is perfect!

For me the "present" is my gift to myself.  I was thinking through the times when I am most present.  It is when I am cooking dinner and trying to get everything on the table at the same time or when I am writing my blog or mountain biking.  These are gifts to me that help me find more of myself in my everyday life.  One of my favorite activities that really keeps me in the moment is yoga.  When I am in class, I am able to focus solely on what I am doing in the moment, and I can leave everything else at the door.  What do you have that allows you to be truly present?

Many of the weekly topics are really hard to make a part of your life, but if you do it, it can really make a huge difference in your overall happiness.  What type of life do you want?

After writing this blog, I realize I am not always as present with my kids as I want to be.  This week, I am going to focus on really letting everything else go when I am with them.  I am going to be more present in those moments because they are the ones that matter most and the ones I enjoy the most!

Questions:
Either think about these questions or spend some time journaling about them.
- When do you have the most fun?
- Are you in the past, present or future?
- How much time do you spend replaying things you have done?
- How much time do you spend planning for things you need to do?
- How does it feel when you are not in the present moment?
- What can you do to be more present?
- How much time do you spend in the past and future?  In the present?
- Do you feel you have a good balance?

Fieldwork:
8A- Look at different situations this week and notice if you are in the past, present or future?  How can these situations improve if you are more in the present?

Enjoy the journey!
Coach Gaye