Life can be found only in the present moment. The past is gone, the future is not yet here, and if we do not go back to ourselves in the present moment, we cannot be in touch with life.
– Thich Nhat Hanh
This, is tough. I dither, I worry, I fret, I mull. I chase myself around in my head with supposition and memory. Relentless questions about future and past…
Why did I do that thing,? What will I do next time I am in the same situation? What if I am never in that situation again? What does that person really think of me? Am I doing enough?
When I was in college I took a compulsory Theology class as a part of my coursework at the University of Portland. That series remains one of the most personally satisfying and enriching parts of my post-secondary education. It was fascinating and informative, but more, it was both pleasurable and practical. As part of the curriculum for the class, the Sister teaching the course had included Peace is Every Step by Thich Nhat Hanh and this very simple text, using spare language and gentle revelation has helped me be a happier and more contented person ever since it first came into my hand. It remains one of the only textbooks I still own that I refer to on a regular basis.
Hanh speaks at length about breathing and smiling. These two incredibly simple things often get overlooked in the daily bustle of life, but they are, indeed, the very fundament of well-being. At one point in the text he exhorts one to smile even if you do not feel like smiling, and soon you will. The very decision to smile, and putting your face into the act, actually creates the concomitant emotional response. I was incredibly skeptical about this, but I tried it; it never ceases to surprise me, though it works every time.
The message of the book is simple to understand, but can be difficult to realize. That every moment is a wonderful moment if you are present and awake to the pleasures it has to offer; the sensation of feeling your breath, wearing your smile, the warmth of dishwater on your hands, the weight of your child’s head on your shoulder. These are all available in the quiet moments between the bustle and movement we so often consider our “real” life, but they are what make up the bulk of the joy we have access to at any given time, and are as easy to come by as deciding to do so.
And since now is all anyone ever has, it is comforting and joyous to know that now can always be a moment to notice the wonder all around us, and smile for it.
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