January 25

ACCEPTANCE MONTH: DAY 25: “How soon will we accept this opportunity to be fully alive before we die?” ― Stephen Levine

One of my favorite spiritual teachers, there are about 5 or 6 I return to over and over again. I wish there were more written material from his life. This one just kind of knocks me between the eyes.

Most of us are so busy with our “stories” about life that we just don’t get on with the living of one. It is so sad, when we see that we were “waiting” for the right time, the right mood, the right weather or the right person to come along before we truly engaged in something that brings us joy.

Our culture is really fond of waiting for enjoyment until after we retire from our careers. What I have witnessed over the years is that many, many people are not able to do what they dreamed of doing after retirement, because they have forgotten to enjoy their moments and hours along the way. Life is a “RIGHT NOW” kind of thing. Deferred enjoyment so seldom happens.

We who have demanded “RIGHT NOW” gratification are, perhaps, on the right path without knowing it. We can learn to balance this with learning what is and what is not appropriate to defer. We have to have that balance.

Mindfulness is all about acceptance. I sit with what IS and stop trying to change it or find a new story for it. It just IS. And I live with that awareness and I embrace that awareness and I breathe into that awareness. Then I am able to be fully alive.

There are so many opportunities for us to examine these stories we tell about life. Let’s all do that. Then we can recover from what we believe and get on with living. Face into the wind, fully alive and aware and present to all of it! Leaving the baggage and stories at the door, stepping out in full open-hearted acceptance of what is here RIGHT NOW, and how that feels and breathing the air of this moment, not where we have been and what stories we have told that make us fearful about what is coming.

I truly hope I never waste another moment of any day of my life being stuck in old ideas and old stories. They have nothing to give me today, RIGHT NOW. Life is big and full and rich, and I want to breathe this breath fully.