At any point in life, we are often in one of three stages — coming out of a storm, presently in a storm, or unknowingly going into a storm. A friend shared this idea with me years ago, and after a multitude of experiences over four decades, I believe this to be true.
Being on quasi-storm alert at any given moment speeds up our daily processing. We want to complete what we’re doing today so that that is done, and we can move on to the next thing. But the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted this manner of living and forced us all to live within the present moment.
Living voraciously tucked inside of today is my soul’s deepest desire because of the feelings of freedom which await when I do. When we are enslaved to the present moment, and that instance is truly our only benchmark for living, we can fully feel what we are supposed to, and in doing so transcend that feeling sooner because we are able to feel much of the extent of that pain or the joy, before fleeing to the next emotion.
Often, we are in a hurry to get from one feeling to the next, and in doing so, we don’t process what is actually taking place. It’s as if we want all of the experiences in the universe NOW. So, our subconscious thinks, ‘Let’s speed it up. Don’t feel how you feel right now, because another feeling lies waiting for you to feel and this one will usurp the previous one, and that next one will trump this one for sure. So, yeah, let’s get to that moment tonight. But, WAIT. Hold up. What are we supposed to be feeling before we actually move on?’
When we don’t experience what is happening in our lives — the triumphs and celebrations and the pains and disappointments — we risk leaving a trail of parts of ourselves behind. The parts with a longing for something — closure, love, acceptance or other fill-in-the-blank emotion are left waiting for fulfillment.
Here are four feelings we may encounter when we live in the present moment:
Feeling Grateful
This very moment once it is over, is gone. So, grounding ourselves in today – the unpredictability and the beauty of this very moment improves the quality of our lives through being grateful. In knowing that this moment is what we have to work with, we are more appreciative for it and will water the grass on the lawn that we’re living in much more — which will inevitably produce more fruit (ok, and veggies too) for our respective journeys.
Feeling Protected
Many of us are used to thinking we are in control of our lives. But we aren’t. When we relinquish control to divine order, we allow life to occur as it will. And when we do, we are surprised when things evolve in an almost supernatural way. Take for instance love. It is often said that love happens when we least expect it. I believe this to be true because we surrender the outcome which allows the supernatural to take control and have our collective backs.
Feeling You Have Purpose
Life has gravitational pulls which attract us to the same type of people, places and things. If we are present in these experiences, and trust ourselves in these moments, we will know how to be and serve others just through our presence and knowing what we uniquely offer to the world.
Feeling Loved
When we allow ourselves to feel whatever emotions we are presently feeling, we have the opportunity to experience love — self-love. We feel love because through our breath. The breath within our bodies was made possible by the conjoining of a woman and a man and is currently made possible because of the benevolence and graciousness of a much higher power who wants us here on this universe.
Yes, we are here on purpose. If we allow ourselves to live inside of this very present moment (albeit good or not so good), we will begin to know that our lives have meaning and begin to experience all that awaits us when we surrender the past and future and live securely in the temporary and insecure nature of today.
Intimately feeling and knowing gratitude, self-love, protection and purpose are the foundations for living an intentional life aligned with our gifts. And living and serving using our gifts is the first step towards living a life of freedom.
Olivia F. Scott is a Yogi and Wellness Experience Creator and Facilitator and founder and creator of Freedom At The Mat, a women-only, yoga-inspired sacred space for participants to pause for self-care.