Positive Atmosphere

Inspiring and Empowering Positive People

Think less, be here now...

I have been feeling a bit anxious about the future lately. I wasn't really sure why I was feeling this way, always a bit tense, quiet around friends, not sleeping all that well.

After thinking about it, It seems that there are many uncertainties ahead, and I believe I had a subconscious desire to know how things were going to unfold. My mind was going round and round trying to figure it out, like a dog chasing its tail.

Well, that obsession with something I could not answer was drawing my mind into the future and I wasn't really present here and now. I had to remind myself of five of my favorite words "One step at a time."

I immediately felt better. Not because I knew what would happen in the future, but because I understood why I was feeling anxious in the present. If you can identify with feeling this way, I highly recommend checking out "A New Earth" or "The Power of Now" by Eckhart Tolle, they have both helped me a ton.

I'll leave you with a great quote I stumbled on today, that prompted me to write this post...

"Contemplation often makes life miserable. We should act more, think less, and stop watching ourselves live."

Nicolas de Chamfort

Have a peaceful day...

photo by James Jordan

Tags: anxiety, here, less, now, presence, think

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Comment by Dan O'Donnell on February 8, 2012 at 5:36pm: good Mike, hope you're having a nice day. i went for a walk this morning and just tried to clear my mind and observe, was nice

Comment by Mike Cross on February 7, 2012 at 12:09pm: I forgot those words! I think I will try and follow them today....

Comment by Dan O'Donnell on February 5, 2012 at 11:47am: Happiness for no Reason was a great book, I really liked it too. I've heard Jack Canfield compare it to driving across the country at night, you know what your destination is, but you can only see as far as your headlights reach. The good thing is, that's all you need :)

I also feel much more at ease now, partly because I did the planning I was able to do concerning the situation that had been nagging me. It's a business situation where I'm waiting on other people to see which direction it will go. Since there are only two directions the others might go, I just planned my response to the two possible outcomes. I did what I could, so now I can just sit back and relax :) Thanks for the input Rich...

Comment by Rich on February 5, 2012 at 12:15am: Dan, that's amazing that you've posted that. I've been feeling the exact same way (also read The Power of Now) and my favourite affirmation at the moment is 'One Step at a Time'. It's amazing how simply uttering a few words can completely change your state of mind and bring a sense of calm. It almost seem too good to be true but it works. It really helps bring in to the present and focus on whatever you're doing in the given moment.

Pleased to hear that it's bringing you a bit more calm also.

It seems similar to what Marci Shimoff says in 'Happiness for no Reason', that people naturally try and plan out the whole route map and every step a long the way but she says so long as you have your goals clear then concentrate on navigating the next 200 yards, then the next to 200, then the next and so on, life will unfold toward your goals before you realise it.