Present Moment Awareness: Part 1

By Gayle North

A beggar has been sitting by the side of a road for thirty years.  One day a stranger walked by. "Spare some change?" mumbled the beggar. "I have nothing to give you", said the stranger.  Then he asked: What's that you're sitting on?" Nothing," replied the beggar.  "Just an old box, I've been sitting on it for as long as I can remember".  "Ever look inside asked the stranger?"  "No," said the beggar.  "What's the point" there's nothing in there".  "Have a look inside," insisted the stranger.  The beggar, reluctantly, managed to pry open the lid.  With astonishment, disbelief, and elation, he saw that the box was filled with gold.

I am that stranger who has nothing to give you and who is telling you to look inside.  Not inside any box as in the parable, but somewhere even closer: inside yourself.

                        - Eckhart Tolle "The Power of NOW"

My next few articles will be focused upon the development of Present Moment Awareness – the power of truly living in the present.  We are going to explore thought and emotion as they relate to living in the NOW.

If you attend a Christian church you have heard readings from the Gospels like, "Take no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for things of itself." or "Nobody who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the Kingdom of heaven". Or you may remember the passage about how the flowers are not anxious about tomorrow, but live in ease knowing that they will be abundantly provided for by God.  Somehow we have overlooked the importance and the profound nature of these teachings.

Spiritual masters of every tradition, since ancient times, have suggested that the present moment holds the key to personal fulfillment and spiritual enlightenment.

In my work with clients, I notice how reticent people are with the idea of looking inside to discover what is happening inside their body at the present moment.  Most are afraid they will find ugliness or unworthiness inside or "nothing" as in the parable.  They are afraid that by looking inside and really noticing the negative emotions and thoughts they will only make them bigger or more intense and that they will get stuck in pain, sadness, guilt, shame, anger or fear.

 There is usually some level of surprise when we focus on the present feelings, explore the messages that physical and emotions feelings have come to convey because clients then notice how they fade and in their place, a state of peace, joy, and or love fills the entire body.  This experience goes beyond our belief systems; it is outside the box of what we have allowed ourselves to experience in the past.

Gayle North  offers Personal Coaching for Positive Change using recently developed empowerment technologies to clear mental and emotional blocks that keep people stuck in unhealthy habits and prevent them from performing at their highest potential  in school, sports, relationships, work and finance. Call 406-837-1214 to learn how you can STOP SMOKING IN ONE HOUR and for coaching in person or by phone.

changeiseasy@montanasky.net                  www.PositiveChangeInstitute.com