I Am Present

I have had some intense meditative sessions these past few days.

Some lessons are a relief to learn but to live them is a completely different matter.

The phrase/prayer I have been focusing on is:

“The past is over; the future isn’t here so I am free from both. I am Present.”

I like this better than the cliché phrase often heard about, “Yesterday is history, tomorrow a mystery, today is a gift that’s why they call it the present.” Not that this phrase doesn’t have its own meaning, but my current lesson of being free from both is a perspective I had not thought of.

For one thing I reminded of the constructions I build to keep myself a prisoner. There is certainly wisdom in looking to the past and applying those lessons to the present. But I often found myself letting those memories dictate my present choices.

It is also wise to consider how ones choices will affect those we live with. However I also found that I was so focused on past memories I was projecting certain future scenarios and than making choices in what I thought would be best for others.

Initially I thought, “This is sacrifice, this is being unselfish.”

And yet after earlier meditation I realized, “This is selfish, this is not a true sacrifice.”

Because ultimately I think a sacrifice somehow is not self serving, and my choices were always to “others benefit”. The reality is that I was/am avoiding my own life.

But for the next two weeks I will be conscience of not doing this.

I will be mindful of the Present and of my presence in it. I will consciously make choices that will not directly harm others but where my actions/thoughts are my responsibility and are in accordance to my purpose.

What are your thoughts of the mantra “I Am Present”?