Yesterday offered me the opportunity to practice what I preach: living in the moment. I had run into my father-in-law at the grocery store, and he informed me that he had just admitted my mom to the hospital emergency room. It appeared her recently diagnosed pneumonia was not getting better. So I put away the couple items in my shopping cart and headed over to the hospital to spend the day with Mom.
A hospital is the perfect place to practice living in the moment. In Mom’s case, we were waiting on tests and test results and then waiting to be moved from emergency to a hospital room. We waited for a diagnosis and we waited for food. Now don’t get me wrong, I am not saying we had a bad experience, and truthfully, the service was excellent and thorough. But I am saying that you really are out of control, and you are at the mercy of others.
And there is the lesson.
Our need to control our environment takes us out of the moment. We are always plotting our next move, and the next day”s moves, and future moves. We plan, plan, plan ahead. But one ailment that sends us to our bed or sends us to the hospital is a quick reminder that we cannot control everything. Do we really want to?
The doctors and nursing staff were so calm and wonderful, as they explained everything going on and kept us from getting uptight. I was in communication with my brothers and sisters, and they were much more uptight than Mom and me, and of course, it was because they had no control over the situation and they felt helpless. This new information, Mom’s health, was piled on top of their busy day of planning. To let go of any aspect of their day would have been so difficult for them and for the people they work with. And in that way, we were all so very thankful for my flexible schedule yesterday, which allowed me to be with Mom most of the day, and some of them were able to visit later on in the day.
But back to being at the mercy of others, which keeps us in the moment. Perhaps we should allow ourselves to be at the mercy of others. Maybe we need to allow ourselves to be at the mercy of God and the angelic beings. Maybe we need to remind ourselves to hand over the “remote control” (as my son, Robbie, once called it) to God, to be at the mercy of God. Maybe we need to practice moving through our day, knowing that God and our angelic guides will guide us through the day, providing just what we need. In that way, instead of wasting our time planning, worrying, and being anxious for the next thing, we can know that all will be in divine order, and every moment of the day is for us to enjoy or learn a lesson from it.
We all have busy lives. We have busy schedules. We can’t just let those fly, that is not what I am suggesting. But those morning moments of having coffee before you start your day, let that time be a time to just listen. That is the purpose for my morning blogs. I typically have no idea what I will write as I sit down to type. Today was no different. I sat down, took a few deep breaths. Hashed around my last 24 hours, and then started typing. Only when a topic started formulating, did I write down the title for this blog. And so it is, most mornings. So have a few moments, I take at least a half hour each day, to just be, let thoughts come to you. Maybe sit by a window and enjoy the view. Just take that moment and “BE.” And then move into your preparations for the day. And as your day progresses, notice those down times, and again, stop the busyness and find a place to sit while you eat a snack or lunch or even spend time with a friend or co-worker. Don’t watch the clock. set your phone alarm if you absolutely have to be somewhere at a certain time. And then put the phone out of view. (Remember when we used to eat without a phone by the table? LOL) Be in that moment. If you are alone, play some meditation music or some calming music to recenter your energy from your busy day.
This recentering is important for us to balance out our day, but also to let go for just a little while. We need to do that. All of us need to practice more letting go. It helps us live in the moment.
Have faith that there is guidance out there, leading you to the next best part of your life, if you can trust it. Be at the mercy of others and God and the angelic beings. Live in the moment.
(As a side note, my mom was diagnosed with early stage congestive heart failure, and today will be another day of testing to determine the cause and extent. I appreciate your stopping right here and saying a quick prayer – pause – as we learn more in the next 24 hours. She does NOT have pneumonia, and she will get well, with some simple adjustments in their lives, like their eating habits and she will be on medication, I am sure. Thanks for your prayers!)
Shanti (Peace)