[et_pb_section admin_label=\u201dsection\u201d background_image=\u201dhttp:\/\/spiritwithasmile.com\/MS\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/Morning-Meditation.jpg\u201d transparent_background=\u201doff\u201d allow_player_pause=\u201doff\u201d inner_shadow=\u201doff\u201d parallax=\u201doff\u201d parallax_method=\u201doff\u201d custom_padding=\u201d40px|40px\u201d padding_mobile=\u201doff\u201d make_fullwidth=\u201doff\u201d use_custom_width=\u201doff\u201d width_unit=\u201don\u201d make_equal=\u201doff\u201d use_custom_gutter=\u201doff\u201d][et_pb_row admin_label=\u201drow\u201d make_fullwidth=\u201don\u201d use_custom_width=\u201doff\u201d width_unit=\u201doff\u201d custom_width_percent=\u201d82%\u201d use_custom_gutter=\u201doff\u201d padding_mobile=\u201doff\u201d allow_player_pause=\u201doff\u201d parallax=\u201doff\u201d parallax_method=\u201doff\u201d make_equal=\u201doff\u201d column_padding_mobile=\u201don\u201d custom_padding=\u201d30px|30px\u201d][et_pb_column type=\u201d4_4\u2033][et_pb_blurb admin_label=\u201dBlurb\u201d title=\u201dThe Fourth Pathway To Unconditional Love\u201d url_new_window=\u201doff\u201d use_icon=\u201doff\u201d icon_color=\u201d#000066\u2033 use_circle=\u201doff\u201d circle_color=\u201d#000066\u2033 use_circle_border=\u201doff\u201d circle_border_color=\u201d#000066\u2033 icon_placement=\u201dtop\u201d animation=\u201dtop\u201d background_layout=\u201dlight\u201d text_orientation=\u201dleft\u201d use_icon_font_size=\u201doff\u201d use_border_color=\u201doff\u201d border_color=\u201d#ffffff\u201d border_style=\u201dsolid\u201d header_font=\u201dHappy Monkey|on|||\u201d header_font_size=\u201d28\u2033 header_text_color=\u201d#000066\u2033 body_font_size=\u201d18\u2033 header_line_height=\u201d1.4em\u201d body_text_color=\u201d#000066\u2033]<\/p>\n
by Gregg Sanderson<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n I always remember that I have everything I need to enjoy my here and now, unless I am letting my consciousness be dominated by\u00a0demands and expectations based on the dead past or the imagined future. * * * * *<\/p>\n Gurus from time immemorial tell us to \u201cBe Here Now.\u201d\u00a0 What the heck does that mean?\u00a0 It reminds me of the advice columnist who tells the guy with pimples, \u201cDevelop your personality.\u201d<\/p>\n By itself, it\u2019s pretty useless advice. Let\u2019s approach \u201cBe here now\u201d from a different angle.\u00a0 Let\u2019s practice being \u201chere now\u201d by getting rid of the stuff that puts us \u201cthere then.\u201d<\/p>\n Start where you are\u2026 At this place (here) at this time (now). At this moment, what can keep you from enjoying it?\u00a0 Perhaps you\u2019re enjoying it too much (guilt from past) or concerned about punishment (Worry over the future).\u00a0 Maybe you miss somebody who left (past) or wishing they\u2019d come back (future). Either way, they\u2019re not here.<\/p>\n Woosh!\u00a0 There goes the moment.\u00a0 Look around while you have all that mental chatter going on. What are you missing right here and right now? .<\/p>\n Living in the here and now is like going to Disney World.\u00a0 The whole world is Disney\u2026 UNLESS you focus on what you left behind, or on what\u2019s yet to come.<\/p>\n Disney World itself is called \u201cThe Happiest Place On Earth\u201d because it\u2019s a here and now experience. It\u2019s a world of here and now wonder\u2014from the meticulously detailed rides and attractions to the spontaneous interactions with characters, other visitors, and cast. They make it easy to focus on each moment as it happens.<\/p>\n Nobody ever worries about their rent coming due while riding the coaster on Space Mountain, and when that thought does come up at the restaurant, it\u2019s a signal to apply the fourth pathway.<\/p>\n Of course, planning for the future, near or far, is a perfectly valid activity.\u00a0 The problem comes when being happy is part of the plan. Beware if it includes a \u201cjustassoonas,\u201d such as, \u201cI\u2019ll enjoy Disney World justassoonas the fireworks start.\u201d<\/p>\n Or in life: \u201cI\u2019ll be happy justassoonas\u2026(choose one or more)<\/p>\n Well, you get the idea.<\/p>\n We get a lot of encouragement to escape the moment, and it takes vigilance to guard against the subtle input. I remember a conversation with a fellow who joined an organization because they had a great retirement plan. He was 26.<\/p>\n TV commercials and insurance companies assure us that disaster is inevitable, and churches tell us it\u2019s hopeless anyhow because somebody we don\u2019t know is reported to have eaten an apple a long, long time ago.\u00a0 Happily, there\u2019s an easy way to neutralize all that input:<\/p>\n Look around and find something to appreciate or be grateful for.<\/p>\n SHAZAM, you\u2019re in the moment.\u00a0 Guilt and worry can\u2019t coexist with appreciation and gratitude.<\/p>\n And if all else fails, go back to step 1:<\/p>\n \u201cI always remember that I have everything I need to enjoy my here and now, unless\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_blurb][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n<\/body>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" by Gregg Sanderson I always remember that I have everything I need to enjoy my here and now, unless I am letting my consciousness be dominated by\u00a0demands and expectations based on the dead past or the imagined future. ~ Ken Keyes, Jr. * * * * * Gurus from time immemorial tell us to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"gallery","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[84],"tags":[9,16,17,25],"class_list":["post-2004","post","type-post","status-publish","format-gallery","hentry","category-the-love-collection","tag-emotions","tag-lifestyle","tag-love","tag-relationships","post_format-post-format-gallery"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/spiritwithasmile.com\/MS\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2004","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/spiritwithasmile.com\/MS\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/spiritwithasmile.com\/MS\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spiritwithasmile.com\/MS\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spiritwithasmile.com\/MS\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2004"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/spiritwithasmile.com\/MS\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2004\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2008,"href":"https:\/\/spiritwithasmile.com\/MS\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2004\/revisions\/2008"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/spiritwithasmile.com\/MS\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2004"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spiritwithasmile.com\/MS\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2004"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spiritwithasmile.com\/MS\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2004"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n~ Ken Keyes, Jr.<\/em><\/p>\n\n