I’ve been doing it again… time travelling. I drift… I shift…

What I mean is that my companion and I drift off into thinking about the future, or shift back in time to think about our memories of the past and the meanings we give them.

This is fun. (Sometimes.)

I’d like us to be a little more present, however.

I started drifting on the way to Swanage this morning. We were driving at the time and my companion was miles away thinking about the week ahead. I was driving safely – at least I think I was – nevertheless, I suggested we return to the present to enjoy the beauty of the journey through the Purbeck countryside.

My companion agreed and thus we started to think about what we could see – especially the colours and shapes of the fields and trees and then the breadth of the panorama that unfolded at the viewing point. From here, we could see all of Poole Harbour stretching out from the home of Billionaires at Sandbanks to the natural environment of the gorgeous Red Squirrels of Brownsea Island.

Who is my companion? My companion is my conscious attention. Clearly it is not ‘me’ as I can often direct it and ‘I’ must be the Director! Lest this turn into too deep a blog, let me share my intention: to drift and shift when I want to, and to come back to the now when it is important. Those important moments of being present include deeply listening to others and driving in difficult or dangerous conditions.

I wonder how you bring your time travelling companion back to the now. My primary technique is to focus on my immediate senses. What can I see, hear, feel, smell and taste?

Why be here now?

Top of the list of many reasons: here is peace. There may be trouble ahead! We may have had a turbulent past. Who will rid me of these turbulent memories? My senses in the here and now!

Over to you. How will you practice mindfulness this week. How will you enjoy this moment?

Lex

A Moodscope member.