The Power of Now

Aaron's calendar at work had a wonderful quote by the infamous Robert Pirsig. It reads, "The only Zen you find on the tops of mountains is the Zen you bring up there." Isn't that so true? Zen means "meditation" or "meditative state." It is through Zen that enlightenment is supposedly attained. I've never been one to meditate. Clearing my head and simplifying my thoughts of all outside distractions is near impossible for a girl like me. My mind is always racing, always thinking. Sometimes, when Aaron and I get into bed, I unknowingly put my hand on my forehead, which Aaron has learned means that I'm thinking. It is with my thoughts that I fall asleep at night. And it is my thoughts that keep me company all day long. Being a chronological thinker is a good thing, I think (no pun intended!), but it sometimes creates a sense of worry within me. Living with worry is the opposite of living with faith. And living with worry also shows that I'm living in anticipation of what tomorrow will bring, rather than in the present. I sometimes find I'm more concerned about what tomorrow will bring rather than soaking in the beauty of what I'm experiencing today. I'm reading a book called The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle that is insightfully bringing all of this to light for me.

To me, the above quote by Robert Pirsig means that the most amazing tool we all have is that of our attitude! If you hike up to Mt. Everest only to focus on how cold, tired, hungry you are, then the awe-inspiring beauty of being on top of the world would be fogged over by your attitude. But, if you make it to the top and recognize the accomplishment, despite how exhausted or cold you may feel, and make it a point to absorb the beauty and feel the joy in reaching such great heights, then your attitude is allowing you to breathe in all the beauty of that moment. Attitude can ruin even the most magical moment, but it can also make the hardest moments that much better.

To put it bluntly, my attitude sucks sometimes. I get in this funk where my thoughts wander to everything I don't have, rather than focusing on what I do have. Being thankful truly changes everything! Living in this state of the grass being greener on the other side stops me from seeing the truth. Lysa Terkerst of Proverbs 31 Ministries wrote, "The grass is always greener where you water and fertilize it. And being thankful…really intentionally listing out things for which we are thankful…is a great way to start watering and fertilizing and changing everything." I have my watering can and I'm ready, God. Fertile-lize me! (I couldn't help myself! Haha!).