The best gift you can give to anyone is your presence.

If you can manage to keep your head where your feet are, your joy quotient will rise exponentially.

We are all guilty of future and past tripping, going over our To Do list while pretending to be in a conversation and generally being someplace else. The problem with not being present in the moment is, we lose it. Once it’s gone, it’s gone.

How sad is that? I think about all of the moments I missed in my own precious life when I was a workaholic talent agent and feel that sadness. Sometimes you are too busy mulling over something someone said an hour ago, a week ago, or even a year ago, to pay attention to the NOW. Regardless of where your mind goes, past or future, if you are not in the present, you are missing out.

Past and future tripping usually does not tap into joy. I bet you don’t spend hours or days reliving your best vacation or your deepest accomplishment, right? Right. Regrets about the past and anxiety about the future are usually what people are ruminating about when they are not Here Now.

Surrendering to What Is, is essential for building the life you desire.

When you surrender, you release your wish that things had been different, as well as your fear that life won’t work out the way you’d hoped. When you stop resisting what actually happened, you open the door to the infinite possibilities of this present moment. It is only in the present moment that you can make conscious choices that are aligned with your best life.

Surrendering to What Is, Will liberate you from, What Could Have Been #BeHereNow
@Terri_Cole (Click to Tweet!)

One of the best ways I know to actually practice the art of surrender (think of it as a skill to master) is to acknowledge when you are not present, as soon as you notice it. This creates the path back to the here and now. When you have a moment in your ‘tripping’ where you ‘come to,’ take a breath and repeat to yourself “I am here.” You can even stomp your feet on the floor to physically reground yourself in your body.

Breath. Repeat. Stomp. Breath. Repeat. Stomp.

A similar technique that I love is from Josh Pais, a busy working actor and the creator of Committed Impulse. Josh has constructed a fun and ingenious four step training program for strengthening your Be Here Now muscles. The moment you notice you are past or future tripping:

1. Breathe

2. See what is in front of you.

3. Feel the sensations in your body.

4. Say, ‘I’m back!”

I got to experience Josh and his magic at my pal (and his fiance), Marie Forleo’s Rich Happy & Hot Live event last year. Saying, “I’m back!” every time I realized my mind had left the room really made me conscious of how often I was elsewhere. It is effective and easy to do.

Try either or both of these exercises throughout this week. Bring yourself back to the moment, back to the space where you can access joy and surrender to what is true. I would love to hear from you. Do you past or future trip often? Will you try the exercises? I hope so.

Sending lots of love from my heart to yours. Have a beautiful week, not missing a moment, and as always take care of you.

Love Love Love

Terri


Terri Cole is a licensed psychotherapist, transformation coach, and an expert at turning fear into freedom. Sign up for Terri’s weekly Tune Up Tips and follow her on Twitter.


*image courtesy of Joel Abroad