Live Like You're Dying

[Michelle Teyke]

" We only got 86400 seconds in a day to turn it all around or throw it all away. We gotta tell the ones we love 'em while we got the chance to say. Gotta live like we're dying." - American Idol Chris Allen song

Can you imagine how different all of our lives would be if we were totally in the present moment all the time?

*We would all leave our past behind and react from a "clean slate" point of view.

*We would stop projecting our thoughts and actions onto the future.

*We would be totally in control of our thoughts, emotions and actions.

* We would be in a state of inner peace all the time.

* We would live every moment like it were our last! I know this sounds like utopia and something out of our reach but I truly believe that it can be something to strive for and incorporate into your life one step at a time.

I have been studying this concept for quite a while and to be really honest at times I am successful and at times I'm totally not! A positive experience that I have is that I am much more present with my children and really listen and give them my full attention when they are speaking to me. I see a world of difference in our relationship and much more harmony in our home.

On the other hand I had an incident happen just last week where a woman who has had a history of yelling at people, yelled at me. I was not in a conscious place when I "reacted" to her negativity. I brought the past experiences of my friends, whom she had raised her voice to, into that moment with me, thus resulting in my not being present in the moment. I felt very upset about those past incidents and reacted from that past experience. I wish I had been able to be totally present and realize that she has issues that have nothing to do with me or my friends for that matter. Instead I defended myself and my friends, which just escalated the whole situation, ending with me deciding not to work with this person anymore. Drama, drama and more drama, yikes!!!

So, as you see I have not totally emerged into utopia quite yet, but I'm embracing the fact that it exists!

I would like to share an exercise from Eckhardt Tolle to bring your mind into the present moment! * When you wash your hands, feel the water, the temperature, how it feels on your skin. By doing this you are totally in the present moment. You are in control of your thoughts and actions. It seems so simple and yet it is so powerful. I suggest Eckardt Tolle's A New Earth for more info on this topic.

So, do me a favor and take one hour of each day to live like it is your last hour on Earth. I bet you will see a glimpse of utopia and feel the joy in your heart grow in size beyond your belief! Forgive yourself for the moments when you are not present and just take it as a reminder and lesson for the future. Relax and enjoy each moment in your life instead of focusing on what you dislike about it. Live like you are dying and you will discover a whole new world around you!

All my best wishes, Michelle

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