As psychics, intuitives, creatives, seers, teachers and spiritual activists, we often have a difficult time staying in the present location, much less in the present moment. I believe we have the capacity to be in different places and times simultaneously, that time is an illusion, and that our spirit doesn’t know, recognize or operate under the constraints of the time-space continuum.
However, we are also human beings, and it is important to ground ourselves in the present moment, as our soul’s work in the evolutionary process requires experiencing life. Grounding ourselves in the present moment affords us real-time experiences of joy — in the laughter of a child or the hug of a friend. Knowing that we transform life simply by being can dramatically alter our experience of living.
There is tremendous power in the present moment. We cannot control our past or our future, but we know we can direct our energy and our actions in the present moment. I often ask myself and my clients where their thoughts are right now. Often what we discover together is that they have either been telling themselves untruths out of fear for the future, or they are tangled up in the pain of their past. While I do believe appropriate action must be taken to deal with what is there, trauma cannot be simply “let go of.” There is more power in being in the moment and feeling into what is needed. Our sixth sense depends on the present moment and the cues and clues in our environment to guide us. If we are mired in the past or the future, we miss out on the ability to discover tremendous truths.
The present moment informs us of what is needed. It is the space we get to decide to accept, heal and release that which no longer serves us. In the present moment we determine what we will say, how loving we will be, how right we will be, what we will argue about, what we will forgive, what promises we will keep, what risks to take, and what we want the expression of that moment to be.
I believe our lives are delicately crafted pieces of art. I choose the colors for my palette at each moment, and each landscape I paint is a reflection of what I wish to have reflected outward to those around me and to the world. If I don’t like the colors, I have this moment to choose differently.
As a society, we have grown tremendously achievement oriented. Somehow we think that if we aren’t going big or going home, we are failing at life. We attempt to strive for things that often are wrapped in empty meaning, such as material objects or large bank accounts. The endless chase leaves us feeling disconnected, worried and stressed. Our striving, centered lives often leave us feeling empty, like we are chasing the golden nugget that cannot really be caught.
The illusion is in the constant need to look ahead to what’s next, because we feel that once we arrive at some arbitrary destination we will finally feel fulfilled. I believe it is the single most tragic trapping of the human experience.
Routine and ritual are the ways in which I root myself in the present moment. The daily walks in the woods near my home, connecting to nature, are the single-most healing moment of my day. They clear my head, bring me back to the truth that I am a part of everything, and give me much needed levity that what I personally am dealing with is small compared to the work happening in the natural world.
I also recommend one grounding ritual a day: gardening, organizing a closet, reading tarot cards, meditation, playing music, reading to a child — the options are endless. Bring yourself right here, right now.
