Nothing has happened in the past; it happened in the Now. Nothing will ever happen in the future; it will happen in the Now.
Eckhart Tolle
As someone who has spent most of her life either contemplating the future or analyzing the past, it has somewhat difficult for me to really fall in love with the present moment. Last year I read several books by Eckhart Tolle that talked about how the Now–right now, this moment–is where it’s at. All of it. It has taken me some time to wrap my mind around this concept.
I think one of the gifts of travel is that you are constantly having new experiences–eating new food, seeing new places, doing new things. And when things are new and exciting and different, it is much easier to find yourself in the Now. I started to see what Eckhart was talking about.
Because ultimately what allowed me to be in the now while traveling wasn’t the place I was visiting–it was the sense of wonder that I brought to that place. Our family has spent a lot of time saying, “Wow, look at that!” and “Did you see this?” As we have wandered, we have become careful observers of the present moment.
I realized that a lot of the magic that we are observing is available to us in our normal lives if we simply open ourselves up to it. Sunsets, cool birds, breathtaking landscapes, random ladybugs, art, people doing weird things–the world has a smorgasbord of amazing experiences constantly on offer. Maybe you’ll be out for a walk and you’ll see a dew drop in a winter cabbage. It doesn’t matter where you are when you find this (can you tell if I took the above picture in Kaysersberg or Auburn?)–it matters when you are. Are you present? Are you available for your Now?
As our time here draws to a close, I find myself hoping that the woman who shows up for her daily life is a little different than the woman I was when I arrived. A little more curious. A little more mindful. A little less distracted. A little more open.
Because, as a wise young man named Ferris Bueller once said, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” I think that’s pretty much what Eckhart Tolle is getting at.
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This is a wonderful reminder for me! Thank you!