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Prosperous Meditation: No Time Like the Present
By: Frank Nichols, LCSW
Introduction
The saying, “There is no time like the present,” is usually taken to mean that one should expedite a task and not procrastinate. If you speak to a Quantum Physicist he may tell you that there is no such thing as “time” at all except for the ever expanding present. “The Power of Now” by Eckert Tolle is a recent book with the main precept that to be happy one needs to be in the now. So today we will be looking at this most important concept of the Power of the Present and actually talk about meditation in what has been billed loosely as a meditation newsletter.
The Present is the Point of Power
Certainly to all things there is a season but often we put off things when we shouldn’t. Decision making, goals, chores, that diet we are avoiding are all examples of things we put off or procrastinate around. While many think of procrastination as laziness which certainly is a bad habit, for the most part procrastination is really about fear of change. The ideas that “there is no time like the present” or “strike while the iron is hot,” or the pleasure one can get by making a list and crossing items off that list certainly promotes self in the face of procrastination and helps one move along in their life.
Now this is one level of utilizing the present but there is more behind this concept. Your power is located in the here and now. Any decision you make is made in thenow. Being in the now clears the mind, can give a sense of direction and improves decision-making. All happiness occurs in the now! Think about it; even when you think of a pleasant memory (which I have suggested as a meditation) the happiness occurs in the now.
Animals, your cat or your dog, all closer to nature than us, exist in the now and are "happier” for it. When a child is enraptured in play he is totally in the present. All creativity flowers out of your present. And creativity should not be construed to mean only something artistic; when you solve a problem you are creating. A complicated or involved problem is solved over “time” by a series of happenings, understandings etc., all occurring in subsequent nows. I teach many of the couples I work with to deal with the repeating patterns of their problems and arguments as if the event is brand new. This is using the power of now. They treat their arguments as the same old thing and fail because of the weight of “you are doing it again.”
Torturing Self
Much of our suffering, much of what has been described as neurotic has to do with how our minds deal with time. Anxiety has to do with fear of the future. Depression often has to do with ruminating over the past. Ruminating, obsessing, going over things in your head over and over again, “If I only had done ____ “ or “What if _____ happens?” is torturing one’s self and implies not being in the present. I am certainly guilty of this myself and it has cluttered and clouded my mind! This is one of the reasons why to and why I meditate.
Meditation and Practicing Being in the Now
Meditation is the practice of maintaining a relaxed focus in the present. To be in the now one needs to practice. Meditation helps you do this. Another exercise to try, is simply taking a relaxed breath and noticing what is around you, gently taking it all in. This being in the present is what MINDFULNESS is. Really, really listening to another is a kind of mindfulness one can practice which is also a powerful use of the present. Meditate, practice being in the present and you will find the keys to personal growth, change and happiness.
Frank Nichols, LCSW, is a Social Worker, Speaker and Consultant who in addition to individual and couples counseling combines psychotherapy with meditative practices.
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