by Life is best viewed and lived as a series of moments. Each of us can only be fully vested in one moment, in one place. Life is the same. Life is now — not past, not future — now. When we are one with life, at our best, we are in this moment.
We do not know how life will fill any moment. Sometimes it brings quiet, sometimes noise; sometimes it is slow, sometimes fast; sometimes it brings failure, sometimes victory and so on. To respond most appropriately to whatever the moment brings, we must be immersed in it.
So often past moments linger. So often moments to come clutter our mind and fill it with worry, anxiety, fear and distrust — Noise. Both leave us distracted from what matters most — this moment, the only one we can really control. Our actions today impact not only this moment but future moments, so being our best, all-in, in this moment is the best way to live our life. Better decisions today yield better results today and tomorrow. Good choices today provide a stronger foundation for future decisions.
The best choices are made with a clear, uncluttered mind. This only happens living moment to moment. Not letting go of moments past or future keeps us from being our best today. Living life comfortable with ambiguity, with not knowing, with accepting and embracing what has happened, what is happening and what might happen is a life lived well. Is this easy? No. It is difficult to let go of worry, anxiety, fear and distrust about what is next. It is challenging to not relive failures and beat oneself up or spend this moment lamenting their occurrence.
It is up to each of us to trust enough in ourselves and in life to follow the response to this moment that flows from within us, despite what the Noise may tell us. This is the best response possible because it is made with a clear, uncluttered mind, with all that we are, as of this moment. Compartmentalizing areas of concern to focus on what this moment brings is a learned mental discipline. Putting concerns aside for another time, not allowing them to distract us from what matters most in this moment, takes practice. The feelings, the fear, the distrust, the worry, the anxiety that too often determine our response often are upon us before we know it. Other times they worm their way into our thinking and before we know it, they own us. Learning to recognize their voice and ours, and then acting on ours, is the key to successfully making the most of this moment.
Understanding who we are, and letting what flows from within us happen, will naturally allow us to focus and respond in the best, most appropriate manner to this moment. We will recognize the Noise; let it come and then let it go. We will be left with who we are, at our best, with a clear mind armed with all that we are to deal with whatever life brings.
Practice letting go. Live a better life.
More to come.
Eric Easter is chief executive officer of Indianapolis-based Kittle’s Furniture.
