When I was leaving for vacation last week, I was picked up by the Uber driver in the dark at 5AM--and after four hours of sleep with my eyes half closed, I said, "It feels like yesterday." He said, "No, it is always today." Profound words to live by. When I was at a yoga training a few weeks ago, we had to read a book called "The Power of Now" for a discussion about mindfulness--which means staying grounded in the present without judging. I am sensing a recurring theme here, because the weekly topic at Weight Watchers is about starting over and turning things around which is something we can only do in the present.
Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery promised to no one. Today, the present, is the gift. We can never go back and undo our damage. We can never go back and unsay our hurtful words. We can never go back to yesterday and replay it. In the same way, we can never leap into the future. Time travel is only in books of fiction. All we can do is operate in the present moment. Whew, because this is a big relief to realize I can only do the work that is directly in front of me. No more and no less and no judging.
One of the reasons many of us give up on our goals or lose sight of the "big picture" is that we stay stuck in the past and feel doomed by it. Not so. Just because we may have made some mistakes and choices we would rather have not does not mean that in the present moment we can't make better choices and be proud of our decisions. It is always today. Ta-da! Today I can choose to do something entirely different. I can eat fruit for snacks and pack vegetables. I can shop the salad bar for all my favorite salad toppings and create great salads at home with my bags of lettuce. I can choose to stay focused on only the work directly in front of me.
No, we don't pretend the past didn't happen. Let's learn from it. Let's understand it. Let's move on from it. Yes, we can plan for good things in the future, but we live in the present. So, I can't eat my healthy meals for tomorrow today, but I can have a stocked fridge with healthy options. I can only operate in the present time--that is today.
It can be a relief to know that we don't have to deal with anything more than what we have today. It breaks our work down into manageable pieces. It breaks our stress down so we don't become overwhelmed. Anxiety is about borrowing worry that may never occur. That's stressful, and stress is fattening.
What do you have to do today? What do you have to let go of from yesterday to move on? Let it be enough.
In response to your question, simply move on, learn from my yesterday(s). Appreciate my life, my friends, even the program. Tis' the season of New Life. Thank you for the reminder.
ReplyDeleteYou don't have to exercise. You get to exercise. Visit a person whose mobility is severely limited, and you'll appreciate the distinction. Do what you can, and count yourself lucky, or blessed. B Gaffner