Saturday, June 21, 2014

In the moment

I was walking along the trail, talking with a friend about theories of romance, when a good looking, long haired man began walking toward us and stopped. "Look!"  he exclaimed and pointed.  Sure enough, in the bushes were two black bears.  They were near but not very photogenic.  Later on, a grizzly posed for a better photograph.  My visit to Glacier National Park was a reminder of the beauty possible if I pay attention to my environment-- and of the danger present if I do not.
Recently, I listened to a talk by Ellen Langer on mindfulness.  A professor of psychology at Harvard, she spoke about the rarety and importance of being present in the moment-- not dwelling on either the past or the future.  She also stated that worry is pointless because we have no mental concept of what the future holds, only that we'll bring ourselves and our characters to it.  One of her solutions is to try to continuously notice new things in our everyday environments and the people around us.  We can never fully know our environments and loved ones, instead we must constantly notice their changes and their possibilities in a changing world.  This keeps us oriented to the present and fascinated by the changes happening around us.  It allows us to be satisfied with what we have instead of thinking we only need new or change to stay interested.

During my in-between time, while camping, while helping with a new baby, while taking a class, while preparing for medical school, there is nothing within my control that I can worry about.  Medical school loans, whether I'll be able to cut it. etc., are wastes of time and energy.  This is a time for me to be present.  When I focus on the present, furthermore, I feel as though my mind is open to learn new things instead of running through the old familiar circuitry of anxiety and regret.

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