"Having spent the better part of my life trying to relive the past or experience the future before it arrives, I've come to believe that between these two extremes is peace."
I don't know who first spoke this sentiment, but it's one that I've returned to again and again in my life. We're talking about two main states here: regret and anxiety. Both of these states hijack our mind, kidnapping it from being in the moment. We try to change the past to right our perceived wrong-doings or get back a happy moment that has slipped away. At the other end of the spectrum, we worry about things that have not happened yet and may not ever happen, but scare us just the same.
When we are in either of these two mind-states, it is impossible to be fully in the Now. When we are present, we can handle anything, because we must take it one thing at a time. Even if the emotion we experience isn't a pleasant one, addressing one thing is much easier than addressing an onslaught of imaginary moments. Memories and anxieties are just that: imaginary. They exist in the mind. They are not reality.
When you find yourself lost in this imaginary melee, take a moment to come back to your body. Start with a deep breath. Feel the cool air fill and expand your lungs. Pause and hold your breath. Experience a moment of complete stillness. Then, exhale fully. Repeat this cycle five times.
Then, take note of your surroundings. Be where you are are, now. Hear the sounds, smell the smells, feel the texture of your clothes, see the beauty around you.
You are not under attack. You are in the present moment. What is real is what is directly in front of you. You can handle it.
Be here, now, and you will surely find peace.
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