Entry #5-The Present Moment

Date- Thursday October 31, 2013
Time- 2:13 PM
Weather- Partly sunny, cool, a little breezy

Your outer journey may contain a million steps; your inner journey only has one: the step you are taking right now.”
― Eckhart Tolle, The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment

     I take a seat on my familiar bench underneath a tree decorated with colorful leaves in deep colors of orange, yellow, and red.  As I take in the beauty surrounding me, I reflect on the importance of spirituality in my life.  I realize that nature already lives these spiritual principles that I strive so hard to incorporate into my daily life, such as living in the moment and trying to gain control over the incessant chattering in my mind.   

The bright leaves

     I think about one of the most powerful books I read called The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle.  Eckhart Tolle is a spiritual teacher who does not identify with any particular faith.  He reminds us of the truth that we already know, it's just that our minds are making too much noise to hear it.  We are more than the incessant thinking of our minds.  I can listen to the "voice in my head" and observe how it makes judgments, has likes and dislikes, compares, and constantly retreats to the past or jumps into the future.  

 

View of the lake 

     What happens to the present moment?  Can I just sit on this bench and be here, only here, as fully as possible? 

All of the worries and to-do lists of the day run through my head for a few moments, but I then remember the wisdom passed on to me.  I use a few techniques I learned from The Power of Now, such as focusing on my breath and on every detail of my surroundings.  I close my eyes and take a deep, cleansing breath and exhale fully.  I imagine exhaling all the worries, fears, projections, the past and the future into the cool, clean crisp fall air.  The only thing that remains is the present.

       I notice the family of ducks sitting by the edge of the lake.  I decide to move a little closer to observe. The ducks become my teachers in this moment, of how to bask in the moment, enjoying the here and now. Two of the ducks take a little nap while the others are relaxing by the water or taking a little swim.  I move up a little closer, trying not to make too much noise and wake them.  I feel welcomed, trusted, and deeply grateful for them to allow me to enter their world. 

Two sleeping ducks

      I am amazed how close I am, and how the two ducks sleep in perfect peace even though a human is right beside them.  I think of how ducks must sense danger in order to protect themselves, it is an instinct.  I smile because I know they can sense that I am not a threat, that I come in peace, curiosity, and love.  

     The two ducks who are sleeping are mainly gray in color, but some of the other ducks have a bright blue or green velvety patch of color on their heads.  The colors are striking and beautiful.  The ducks believe "less is more" concerning accessories, their natural beauty is enough, it is more breathtaking than diamonds and rubies. 

The family of ducks

      As I make my way a little closer, the two sleeping ducks open their eyes for a brief moment, just to check things out, but then close them quickly, returning to their afternoon nap, knowing all is well in their world.  One of the ducks begins to make loud sounds, I wish I knew what he or she was saying, but it must have not been that important because the two ducks did not even bother to open their eyes to check it out.                                                                          

The beautiful ducks

     The one duck continues to loudly vocalize his or her thoughts or feelings, and begins to rouse the others.  All of a sudden, they all begin to move towards the left part of the lake, some swimming, some flying, and some waddling.  I did not know what was beckoning them, but something was. They were in the moment, moving with the soft flow of life. I am sure they didn't think about whether to get up and move, they just did it.  They just moved on to their next adventure, their next moment in life.