Recently, I was listening to a series by Michael Singer on Sounds True, titled Living From A Place Of Surrender. I’ve long been a fan of his, having read The Surrender Experiment and applying the principle of working with what is vs what I want or don’t want. Well, I would say trying to apply vs applying – I’m able to do this maybe 75% of the time, up from much less than 50% of the time a few years ago. 

This has likely been and continues to be one of the hardest AND most rewarding improvements in my self-help journey. My mind is an active place and I know what I like and don’t like about today, tomorrow, next week, next month, next year. It sounds so silly saying that out loud because, logically, I know two things:

1. Whether I like or don’t like something, it is what it is, like that say. Focusing on my likes/dislikes can keep me mired down and inactive.
2. I don’t know about anything other than what’s right in from of me. Yet, my mind still propels me into the future and all of that mental chatter is a breeding ground for anxiety. 

When I feel the first inklings of the anxious wondering, I like it/I don’t like it thinking and decision-making about the truly unknown future, I ask myself “What’s in front of me RIGHT NOW? What can I learn from and do about the RIGHT NOW?” This perspective acts like an anchor, reminding me that I’m at risk of taking a futile trip into anxiety land and getting lost in my likes/dislikes. This takes a lot of practice and countless repetition. However, the payoff is great: accepting what is and applying energy into what I can actually influence. 

Daily reminder to self: Focus and work with what’s right in front of me.