Inventing Your Life
“Live In The Present”
By
Rob Claudio
As I contemplate the beginning of
the New Year 2010, I first hope and wish all of you had a safe and joyous
Holiday Season. I know that last year
was a difficult year for a lot of people and for various different
reasons. It is hard to dust yourself off
sometimes and reset your mind to think with a new perspective as you aspire to
achieve different things during the coming year. I had a relaxing rest that allowed me to
catch up on some books that I had been meaning to read. Among them, was one of the most simple,
straight forward and yet very powerful books, written by a well known author,
Dr. Wayne Dyer. It was, “10 Secrets for
Success and Inner Peace”. It had so many
poignant and insightful areas to it, that I will be writing about different
topics or chapters within it in the near future. Although it talks about “secrets”, I believe
that a lot of these are really well known topics and that a lot of us have
addressed in various forms among our life experiences. The one chapter or secret as he described it
that I am focusing on is one titled, “Giving Up Your Personal History”. In a very succinct manner he speaks
powerfully about how some people remain victims of their own personal history. He spoke about how most people live their
lives hanging on to personal histories to justify their self-defeating
behaviors and the scarcity in their lives.
In addition, people hang on to past pains, abuses and shortcomings as
calling cards to announce a “poor me” status to everyone they meet within
minutes of introduction. How many people
like this have you met? The victim
mentality is then framed by those calling cards that state: “I was abandoned as a child”, “I’m an
alcoholic”, “I am an incest survivor”, “My parents were divorced and I’ve never
gotten over it”. The list could go on
and on. However, the focus should be
that your past is over. By bonding to
your past you not only ensure that you’ll be immobilized today, but you prevent
yourself from healing. None of this is
to say that you do not acknowledge your history, however, you should not be
defined by it and how you live in the present today.
Although a lot of people have
lived through many dark periods, accidents, tough episodes, periods of
impoverishment, illnesses, abuses and broken dreams, Dr. Dyer asks us to give
all of that a new job description and finally retire them or transform them in
your own way. Become free to immerse
yourself in this moment called the “present”, because it is simply that – a
present to open, relish, nurture, play with – and enjoy!
The willingness and ability to live fully in the now eludes
many people. While eating your appetizer
don’t be concerned with dessert. While
reading a book, notice where your thoughts are.
While on vacation, be there instead of thinking about what should have
been done and what has to be done when returning home. Don’t let the elusive present moment get used
up by thoughts that aren’t in the here and now.
He uses examples of how animals in nature do not get hung up on their
past. Can you see a dog or a cat in an
animal shelter waiting for adoption and incessantly asking themselves, “I
wonder why was I abandoned?”, absolutely not.
If you have ever adopted a pet, you know that the minute you walk into a
shelter, those animals are staring at different people wanting to go home with
a beloved family and living in the present.
One can blame their beginning in
life on their Parents, varied circumstances or even luck. However, as an adult one knows better and is
therefore the one held accountable for the remainder of their life. If you did
not have the best beginning, you
can be determined to have a great, happy and fulfilled ending. I hope that you
choose to live out the rest of your living time by focusing on today and
changing your attitude about your past.
More importantly, acknowledge what you have gone through, honor it and
let it go. You will feel more alive,
less burdened and able to enjoy the present as a result!
“Here lies my past, Goodbye I have kissed it;
Thank you kids, I wouldn’t have missed it.”
-Ogden
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