On the Exhale

With awareness there comes choice.

And so you are able to say:

"I allow this moment to be as it is."

And then, suddenly,

where before there was irritation,

there is now a sense of aliveness and peace,

and out of that comes right action.

Eckhart Tolle

We have a tendency to look forward to gatherings.  Somewhere in the back of our minds, we are envisioning a wonderful time.  Unfortunately, this is not the way things always unfold.  Maybe it rains forcing all of the visiting adults and children into our home. Perhaps some adults discover a hot spot of political discord and the tension envelopes everyone.  Waiting for late comers while the meal dries out or someone cancelling at the last minute might pull us off balance. 

Eckhart Tolle suggests staying in the moment, in the now.  He tells us to just let things be.  I have discovered by letting go of my thoughts, allowing the situation to appear and then releasing my emotions can quickly bring back my sense of peace.  We simply need to remain in the moment without reaction.

Our society is very fast paced.  We are very absorbed in "doing" rather than "being".   We move so quickly through our lives we miss the beauty held in each moment.  We are walking so quickly we forget to look up at the beautiful blue sky or notice the flowers or the gentle fragrances in the air.  We are so caught up in our schedules that we miss conversations or comments containing synchronicity or a sudden spark of joy.

If we would just take time throughout our day for a deep breath into our selves, our minds would clear and stress would ride out on the exhale.  By taking three deep breaths within moments we are refreshed.  If we can do this a few times

sporadically throughout the day, we would be amazed at how much better we would feel and how more easily we could handle our day.  Our responses to decisions might be made more clearly and efficiently. 

Eckhart Tolle uses the words 'right action' and I do believe we would all prefer to go through life using clarity and wisdom.  We cannot do that if we are bombarded by prejudice, conflict, disappointment and fear.  These very things prevent us from being who we want to 'be'. 

"I allow this moment to be what it is," states Mr. Tolle.  We may scoff as this sounds entirely too simple and disregard it entirely.  If we are truly smart, however, we will give this simple suggestion a try and we will be amazed at the relief we will experience.