Living in the NOW-Pour Your Heart Out

I had the short opportunity to read an article in O magazine.  The article was actually an interview between Oprah and Deepak Chopra. I have never really been a huge fan of his but I found the interview to be a fantastic read!

Oprah and Deepak spent some time discussing the differences between Eastern and Western cultures.  Mr. Chopra stated in the west, we are educated to look to the future. 

With all the looking to the future, he went on to say that Westerners (that’s most of us), are never in the present.  So, when we arrive at the future, it is not there for us, because we are not present for it.

Wow. So true.

My oldest daughter is the ultimate look-to-the-future-move-on-to-the-next-thing girl.  She can worry me to death about going out for yogurt and before we are half-way done, she will be asking to immediately go on a play date with a friend.  I find myself constantly saying, enjoy what we are doing NOW.  Be satisfied with NOW.

Yet, the old saying holds SO TRUE, “fruit does not fall far from the trees”.  I too can get so busy making goals and looking forward to meeting them, that I don’t enjoy NOW.

I really don’t feel like I have time to enjoy NOW. There are a lot of things I want to accomplish.  There are alot of things that need to change!  I mean, things will be better when I get to what I am looking forward to.  Won’t they? 

I found this quote in the interview so intriguing:  “And if you get the idea that this is the moment you have-the only moment you have- then you live in the present and you move with the flow because this is the point, right now.” 

I wonder how many things I actually have achieved that I didn’t even notice because I was off to the next thing? I arrived at my future but I wasn’t present for it because I was so focused on the next big thing.

This led me to grand question of: how do I live in the moment? 

Answer:  Dethrone myself and have compassion for  others.  It is just not ALL about me. (gasp!)

Tim Mcgraw said it best:  Live like we are dying…..Love deeper, speak sweeter and give forgiveness!

Psalm 90:12 Teach us to number our days,that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxDkWBvxHEI] This post is part of a weekly meme hosted by Shell at Things I Can’t Say.