The Timeline
Thoughts on dealing with uncertainty and embracing the now.
Summary:
The most powerful moment in time is now.
Perception is reality.
Expectations are not reality.
Control is driven by fear.
Gratitude is driven by love.
“It is not uncommon for people to spend their whole life waiting to start living.” - Eckhart Tolle
“I just want things to unfold faster,” she says. “I’m ready to move into the next phase of my life already.”
She is unsettled. I listened to her softly describe her dreams and ambitions over the phone as I gently stir a fresh pot of vegetable stew.
I bring my attention back to her voice. “I am soooo…. ready, but things just aren’t lining up for me yet.”
“Yet,” I add.
“Yet. Of course. I have been asking the Universe to hurry up. I’m practically begging. I’ve done the inner work, I’ve learned to stand up for myself and I am just ready.”
She continues to talk for a few minutes and finally runs out of breath. She is very persuasive and vibrant. I understand what she is talking about. I have been there myself; wanting for things to unfold faster.
Now.
Right now.
Hurry.
Big or small, we all want something in our life. It can be as simple as the gift of fresh air or the sound of laughter. It can be as complicated as a multi-million dollar business or the fastest car you’ve ever dreamed of.
We can all dream and aspire, can’t we?
“Hang on a sec. Hang on. Wait,” I interrupt.
I paused for a few moments and say…
“I know that you want to speed things up. I am on your side and I hope you know that. But, I can’t help but notice that you are getting upset over something you don’t have control over.
There is no control panel to speed up timelines. Nobody can press a button and automatically expedite time. I wish I could, love. It just doesn’t work that way.
I want you to realize that there is so much beauty in the present moment. Each moment that we have lasts just a moment. And then poof, it’s gone.
There is so much beauty in appreciating what we have right now. The future is in the future, do you know what I mean? We’re not there yet. It’s like saying you’re hungry when you’re still eating.
We all want something, but honey, I want you to recognize that the time you have right now is beautiful too. I mean, you’re on the phone with me! Isn’t that amazing?
Listen, have I ever shared with you my concept of ‘time traveling’. No silly, it’s not a time machine.
But rather, it’s something we do within our minds.
Time-traveling happens when we journey through memories in the past and dream about the possibilities in the future.
But, do you know what happens when we time travel?
We lose sense of what is important right now. We lose track of everything around us that is already available to us in this moment. When we time travel, we pay less attention to what we have and focus more on what we don’t have.
It means that we forget to appreciate what we have right in front of us. There is so much to experience, to love, to appreciate right here, right now. Don’t you think?
Yes, the future has so much to offer.
But, the truth is that the future is never guaranteed.
What is guaranteed is this precise moment right now. This moment is how we control and steer our lives toward an amazing and incredible future.
It is what we decide to do right now that we are able to navigate toward a healthier, more sustainable, and successful future.
How are you going to make it to the future if you are constantly chasing it?
Listen, I honor what you want, but I also want you to honor this precise moment. You have the gift of making a choice. This choice is very powerful.
In this moment, you can choose to be grateful. Or you can choose to be ungrateful. There is only one moment, do not forget.
In this moment, there is so much that the Universe has already offered to you. It has continued to offer you the gift of time.
Essence.
Being.
Awareness.
Consciousness.
Self-Love.
In this moment, you can make a conscious choice as to how you want to spend your time. Do you want to spend your time being unhappy? Or, will you make the decision to be fully aligned with your true self - now?
You can not control the future by projecting needs, wants, and desires onto it. You can only control the future by being mindful of what you have at this very moment.
This is the Power of Now.”
She ponders this quietly. I can hear the wheels turning in her beautiful mind.
“Realize deeply that the present moment is all you have. Make the NOW the primary focus of your life.” - Eckhart Tolle
You wish to experience all that the heart desires. However, the one caveat to all of this is that you are dedicating your energy to being impatient. In being impatient, you are judging yourself for not having what you do not possess.
How is that productive? There is so much to explore in the space in between. There is so much to appreciate in the present moment.
When you have learned to be present in this moment that you are in right now, this very second, you can proactively choose to appreciate all the gifts that have been shared with you.
It might be simple like being grateful for the roof over your head. Having fast internet. Having food in the fridge. A bed to sleep in.
You must find gratitude and trust that everything that happens to you - happens for you. It might seem as though the world is working against you. The truth is that it is the exact opposite.
Your dreams and wishes have been heard by the Universe. It is doing exactly what you want, but the only way that it can present you with what you want is by removing what isn’t serving you in your life anymore.
How can you receive new gifts if you are constantly clutching at the heels of old behaviors, patterns, and things that don’t serve you?
The Universe is always working in your favor. The Universe does not know how to manipulate you. It is supporting you because you asked for it.
I invite you to join me in shifting our perception.
Perception is reality.
The Universe is working in your favor.
Gratitude is a state of the heart and the mind that allows you to experience joy. It can not be stressed how important it is to be in a state of gratitude, because that is how you will begin to appreciate the magical wonders around you.
Wherever you are in this moment, observe and feel through your senses. Look at the leaf, the tree, the phone in your hand, or the mug next to you. These are observations of moments in time. Offer them a quick smile. Say thank you.
When you invite gratitude into your life, the Universe will begin to acknowledge that you are both aligned. You have a deal. The Universe is ready to shake on it. Trust that in this moment, everything is going to work out the way the Universe wants it to work out.
It is very easy to want to control outcomes.
It is very easy to have expectations about how things will unfold.
Expectations are not reality.
Perception is reality. Perception happens in this very moment.
Watch the magic begin to unfold the very second you decide to let go of all expectations.
Just watch.
Anything is possible, as long as you focus on the present.
The only timeline you need to worry about right now… is now.
I dedicate this story to all my friends and fans out there who needed a reminder.
Xo, Sonya
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Thank you. Your gift of writing and insights....always on que, for me (and most anyone I believe).