sharing minimalism: in the moment

(photo found via papertissue, by rosie hardy)

one of the biggest struggles in this journey has been learning to be present.
in fact,
just yesterday i found myself in the car crying and stressing about the return of my parents
and getting everything cleaned back up before then (again, running a household full of people is hard.)
i frequently reflect back on high school and want to cringe
and apologize to everyone for the way i used to be.
it's so easy to get caught up in what happened yesterday and what is happening tomorrow.
the lack of whole presence can be a source of major stress.

the past is unchangeable!
until a time machine is invented,
we would do well to avoid dwelling on it.
in fact,
the only reason i should really focus on it
is to make sure i don't repeat mistakes
and to reminisce on wonderful memories.

in regards to stress,
the past is useless to me.

the future?
the future is a result of our actions today.
act today for success in the future.
avoid needless worry.

even ten minutes is in the past.
think about yourself at this moment...
are you happy? is anything wrong?
personally, i'm very happy at the moment.
if we focus on the moment at hand,
we will find that we are actually very happy individuals!
life is nothing if but moments strung together,
and happy moments mean a happy and whole life.

staying present,
enjoying where i am at the moment, what is happening, what smells are in the air, how this chair feels against my back...
it's magic for my mood levels!

and the best part about it?
the power over my feelings of wellbeing.
if i don't like what the moment brings,
when it's over i can put it behind me,
learn from it,
and focus on the actions that will take me to the future!

and as always... deep breathing and mindful living work wonders.

happy monday!

(more minimalist posts here.)

xo.