This moment is mine and all is okay

It was story time and I was ready to listen to my daughter read a few pages from her new book.  I snuggled in close as she tucked her head against my shoulder and opened the cover.

As her sweet voice filled the room, and the pages slowly turned, my busy mind began to wander.

A guilt driven chatter about my day fuelling my thoughts.

Did I say the right thing?  Did I do the right thing?  Did I handle that well?  What could I have done better?  Did I mess up?

On and on it went, mind chatter about the past and all the while I was missing out on the glorious present.

Then Wow, I was gazing down at an exquisite illustration on the page and could not even remember this page being turned.

My body, my physical self was here and yet my mind was off someplace else.

I softly whispered  “The moment is now and all is okay”.

As my senses returned I took in the smell of Miss Ten’s clean hair, I heard the animated character voices she now reads with as I felt her weight against my chest.

I became fully present and enjoyed a precious moment with my daughter as she cleverly read me a wonderful story.

Later that same night, I wearily climbed into bed.  Instead of enjoying the crisp feel of clean sheets and hearing the gentle rhythms of my own breath I began an exhaustive dance with worry.

I lay there consumed with plans for getting it all done, conjuring up strategies to complete the next list as I worried about the decisions and actions of the future.

I was preempting problems, foreseeing issues and preparing myself for endless what ifs.

I was more concerned with the achievements of the future than the simple delights of the present.

Once again my body was here, desperate for rest and respite, while my busy mind was off someplace else.

I clambered out of bed,  grabbed a pen and paper and quickly wrote down all my nagging thoughts, before safely tucking them away on my desk for the morning.

I then kindly repeated “All is okay in this moment.” and returned to bed.

I wriggled my toes, took a big, deep, restorative breath and felt my body sink down into the mattress.

Lulled off to sleep by the sound of my own breath, cocooned in safety and warmth as my husband lay beside me.

I truly was okay in this moment.

Whenever you feel yourself dancing with the guilt of the past or prancing with the worries of the future you are robbing yourself of the joys of the present.

Instead of becoming lost to the chatter of the mind remember these words.

This moment is my life

This moment is for living

The future will come

The past has been

This moment is mine and all is okay

Because this is your one great life and it is up to you to Lead it Fabulously.