CHOICE OR CHANCE?
Practice
This Is It
The following practice is inspired by a passage from the book, Wherever You Go, There You Are. The author, Jon Kabat-Zinn, offers a simple saying to combat the urge to worry about the future or relive the past. It’s simply repeating, “This is it”. While it may seem almost too simplistic, the power that this phrase holds only increases the more we understand its purpose -to appreciate the “now”. As much as we want to know about, influence, and control the future, the real power is in embracing where we are.
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“When we understand that ‘This is it,’ it allows us to let go of the past and the future and wake up to what we are now, in this moment.” – Wherever You Go, There You Are
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So from time to time remind yourself out loud or in your head that “This is it”. If you’re overthinking, succumbing to negative thoughts, frustrated with life, or just having a bad day, repeat this phrase at least 3 times. But really focus on what it means. When you say it, at that moment, all that’s around you and how you feel in your body is all there is. That’s it.
Too often we build up or over-exaggerate what’s really happening each moment because of our memories of the past or expectations of the future. But in reality most moments are neutral and harmless. It’s a blank slate that we paint with our emotions. So when we realize that, “This is it”, we embody each moment while simultaneously stepping into the next. Thus making room for whatever artwork unfolds.
Many times we may wish to fast forward and live our ideal future lives. But without taking the steps along the way we can’t appreciate where we are and all it took to get there. Life truly is about enjoying the journey which means recognizing that “this is it”. We can’t be anyone else, doing anything else, anywhere else in this world, unless we take the steps to get there. Then we can walk into the future with a positive mindset -no anxiety or regret- because those memories live in the past and we can’t let them take over our “it” moment.
