I just had a neat little realization, and thought I should share it with you.
I had a really great conversation with my friend Ann Rea yesterday. She’s building something really helpful for artists, and our conversation made me realize that the Monthly Experiments Project was also helpful to people. It was a good conversation about the future.
I said something at the end of our conversation that I’ve said many times before, “I’m really excited about the future.” Ann agreed.
One Word
Today, I did my morning mindfulness meditation then went to make a cup of tea. While it was brewing, I thought back on my conversation with Ann. I started to send her a text message, and wrote “Hey Ann. Thanks for the great conversation yesterday. I’m really excited about the future.”
I was about to send that message, but I paused for a moment.
I realized I wasn’t just excited about the future, I’m excited about the present.
One word. Excited about the present, instead of excited about the future. It seems like a small difference, but it’s not small. It’s big.
I’ve been practicing mindfulness for a few days now, and this kind of shift in perspective wasn’t something I expected to happen so soon.
Don’t waste your excitement on the future. Be excited about today.
>> Click To Tweet That <<
The realization that today is worth being excited about is pretty big for me. I feel happier.
You don’t have to wait for the future to be happy.
Just practice being more present, more mindful and you’ll see that there’s plenty to be excited about, right now.
View all posts in this series
- Clean your Teeth, Clean Your Mind - November 19, 2012
- The How + Why of Mindfulness - November 28, 2012
- Getting To Know Your Better Self - November 29, 2012
- Don’t Waste Your Excitement on the Future - December 4, 2012
Awesome! So glad to know it inspired you. It’s a reminder to practice mindfulness around every conversation we have.
Thanks Ann! Yeah. Before starting this experiment, I wasn’t sure how it would all work. Now I find myself just moving a little bit more slowly, and intentionally. That does wonders.
Keep these tweetables coming! They’re delicious!!
Thanks Lisa! A tweetable a day keeps the something away. I can’t remember how that goes.
I love this! However, I think there is another perspective – a nuance. It’s a fact that life ONLY happens in the present – that’s reason enough to be mindful in each moment. I also know from experience that thoughts influence personal reality (perhaps even global reality) – on emotional, physical, and spiritual levels. The body doesn’t distinguish between past and future, so thoughts about the past and future are always experienced in the “now”. If I’m having a terrible day, facing health challenges, financial difficulties, etc., my body will react with stress hormones, my mood will reflect my struggles, and my “present” will align to echo those problems. I can modulate this using my thoughts. In remembering something powerfully joyful from the past, or anticipating or imagining relief or happy times in the future, my body and mood will shift to align to those thoughts. I have a chorus of voices, thoughts, and impressions belonging to today, the past, and my hoped-for future, which influence my experience moment-by-moment – some conscious, others not. Bringing awareness – mindfulness – to that chorus and becoming an active and skilled conductor of their music – even music that includes memories from the past and imaginings of the future, can shift my today. Personally, I am not excited about my current situation. However, I am excited by the transformation potential of every mindful thought and perception contained in each moment.
Thanks for the thoughtful comment, Lisa!