Reminiscing, we look at past events, often fondly and happily. Try reminiscing about the present.
~Hilarion
Each of us has a few precious memories—the birth of a child, the day we met our beloved, the first time we pushed past fear to accomplish something big, a family reunion with loved ones. They shine forth in our remembrance and unfailingly make us feel good. We like to look back at these events, because they make us happy.
If we’re honest with ourselves, these memories probably are polished with fondness. Any little roughness is smoothed out by the overall happiness of the occurrence. We remember these events kindly, honing in on their most pleasurable aspects. We’re a bit selective about what we choose to focus on re-experiencing.
In the present, our approach usually is a bit different. Many of us bypass the potentially enjoyable aspects of now to dwell on the challenging ones. We may try to be a bit more even-handed in our perception of life, but that still implies equal focus on both welcome and unwelcome experiences. We seldom choose to think only about what we can enjoy in the moment, letting go of anything that might disturb us.
In this way, we limit our ability to feel the complete joy of experience in the here and now. It may never seem as alluring as the pleasurable past, because we see it differently. We aren’t focused on enjoyment; we’re focused on evaluation. We weigh the present moment to determine whether it is good or bad, and in doing so we leach some of the pleasure out of our experience.
The unlimited divine potential of creation—the sharing—has an infinite variety of experiences in wait for us. Some we may enjoy, others we may not. In any moment, we experience numerous stimuli simultaneously. There’s a whole lot going on in the now. Surely, some aspect of it must be worthy of delight.
Let’s spend a few minutes exploring full enjoyment of the moment. We’ll start with our breath, letting it slow and become deep and even. As we do so, we’ll picture a link to all of creation—our own splinter of inner divinity, known as the sharing within—in the center of our chest, represented by a glowing ball of golden light.
As we inhale, the light intensifies and becomes bright, strengthening our conscious connection with divinity. As we exhale, the light spreads out through and around us, blessing all it touches with conscious love. We’ll continue until we feel serene, relaxed, and steady, signally conscious connection with our sharing within.
We’ll focus on our sensory perceptions for a few seconds. What do we hear? What is touching us? What do we taste or smell? What is in our field of vision?
We will find one pleasant stimulus and place our attention on it. Perhaps we hear pleasant background music; perhaps we’re wrapped up in a cozy blanket; perhaps we can smell dinner cooking; perhaps there is a gorgeous sunset. Whatever we choose, we’ll tune out all distractions and let ourselves enjoy our pleasurable sensation fully. We’ll savor some aspect of the present for a minute or two, as we breathe golden light slowly in and out.
We’ll recognize how special and precious this moment is, and notice how completely relaxed, happy, and at ease we are, focusing on the pleasure of now. Life is completely beautiful and perfect as we experience the full appreciation of the present. Now is good; now is splendid.
Divinely unique and beautiful reader, what are you enjoying right now? Please share…