Om.

Be present.

I heard someone on a “The Moth” podcast this morning say “It would be a lot easier to “BE PRESENT” if you were actually in the right place.” I look outward and see myself as being a few steps away at any given moment from where I want to be. I forget that sometimes…
no, ALL of the time… I’m exactly where I am supposed to be at that moment.


When I envision myself meditating I see myself in a cool, light, uncluttered home… with lots of plants, some candles, and me sitting on the floor wearing simple yet flattering yoga clothes—eyes closed---peaceful smile—palms turned upward. I have no idea where I got that image, probably from some “simple living” type magazine that I used to buy on a regular basis.


Anyone who knows me knows that this space does not exist in my home. Those clothes actually have some spit- up stains on them and are wrinkled. The plants haven’t been watered in a while and are drooping pitifully. The dishwasher is making a funny noise, I need to know what’s on Facebook, and there’s a dried up ball of play dough embedded in the carpet. My house is filled with stuff… some of it is important to us and necessary to the function of our particular home life. More than half of it probably needs to be boxed up and donated to people who need it far more.


It is incredibly hard for me to “unplug”. I detest moments of silence, while still craving them. I find it difficult to drive or walk without listening to music or podcasts. I spend the majority of my time somehow connected to something that requires electricity or batteries. (Hush your mouth.) The moments of my day are filled with the computer, television, radio, satellite radio, podcasts, music, telephone, social media, camera. On rare occasions it may even be the washer/dryer or dishwasher. Regardless of what it is, I have a terrible time tuning everything else out and just being silent with myself. Unfortunately, I hear this is a major requirement of meditation.


Maybe I need to lower my expectations. I think I could probably sit near the window in a relatively uncluttered area of my bedroom and meditate without the candle or the yoga pants. Maybe 2 minutes of deep breathing with good posture would be a decent start.


I think that I have so many big goals and expectations of how my life “should” look at this point, and I forget to relax and remember that my life looks completely different, and in the majority of ways it is looks better than I ever imagined it would. I am incredibly lucky.


My goals this week are to be a little easier on myself. The most important things to focus on this week are to avoid any retail establishments, study consistently and effectively, and enjoy my wonderful daughter and friends.


Goal 1: 2 Minutes a day of “pretend” meditation. Just breathing and sitting pretty.


Goal 2: One box/bag/pile of “stuff” to be delivered with a smile to The Penn House.


I’ll let you know how that works out. What are you aiming for this week? Could you be a little easier on yourself? Tell us in the comments.