Living in the Moment

Several years ago, while sitting at my daughter’s wedding, I was haunted by our pastor’s words…”I ask you to be truly present in this moment”.  I felt as if I had been shaken from a deep sleep.  How many times in my life had I not been truly present?  What had I missed by allowing my mind to not live in the present?  What had I missed due to being driven by accomplishing rather than being?  Thinking back, my mind soon drifted to “I wonder how the reception looks?  Did they forget anything?”  Oops, I guess my “living-in-the-present” muscle needed some strengthening.   After 11 years committed to my own personal development, while providing guidance to numerous life coaching clients, I continue to be a work in progress.  However, I’m proud to say that I have made progress.  It’s easy for me to have empathy for my clients whose joy has been sabotaged and who, subsequently, have become overwhelmed due to their failure to stay in the present.

When a client is working through a transition, “overwhelm” is the first place I look for an opportunity to help them make a small change that will yield a big result.  When we are overwhelmed, we tend to live in the future.  Living in the present causes us to slow down and, subconsciously, we think we are too busy to slow down.  Our brain speeds to the next task because, remember, we are overwhelmed (no time…no time).  Have you ever noticed how people who function with confidence, poise and control don’t seem to be distracted?  They appear to have all the time in the world.  It turns out that highly competent, productive and resilient people have developed characteristics that serve to help them navigate their busy lives while guarding against chronic overwhelm.  Those characteristics are:

·         They have a clear understanding of what they value.

·         They possess a sense of purpose.

·         They practice gratitude.

·         They respect boundaries that protect them from over-committing their time and resources.

·         They believe in their personal value and that they are “enough”.

·         They accept life’s (and their own) imperfections.

·         They are committed to enjoying their lives every day.

With a life coaching professional committed to helping you find your strengths, face and overcome your obstacles and keep you on track, you can reduce the bumps in the road.  So if you find yourself bogged down in future thinking and feeling overwhelmed, let me ask you:  What are you missing by not being fully present?  How are your boundaries?  Will your next accomplishment PROVE your value?  Would you like to travel a smoother road?

Let’s talk about how I might help you.

jandfulcher@gmail.com