The Now Moment: And the Mind’s Resistance To It
THE NOW
You might hear this term a lot today. THE NOW. Or the NOW MOMENT. It’s used so much it’s almost a cliche. Anytime something is talked about so much, it can often be overlooked. When you stop and think about it, the only time that ever exists is NOW. There is no possible way to go back to the past, even if it’s just going back five minutes. There is no possible way of jumping into the future to see what you might be up to. The only moment we have is right here, right now. This is not a ground-breaking idea. It is not an epiphany. It is simple. It is always with us. It cannot not be NOW. Go ahead and try it! Can you ever get out of now? It’s impossible. The only thing that lives with us 24/7, never stops talking, never stops pondering, never stops questioning, never stops blaming, or worrying, or solving a problem is the mind. Your mind in fact. All minds do this. Each and every one us has a mind that is designed to either keep us focused on something that happened in the past, or it’s busy creating one mental drama after another over what the future might bring. No matter how you look at it, the mind is pre-occupied with everything except the ever-present now moment.
Even as you’re reading this, are you really present with it? Are you really ingesting the words and feeling them speak to you? Can you feel the thinker step in and try to distract you from actually hearing what this says? There it goes again. Pulling you into your long list of to do’s, concerning you with all the things you have to do this week, and so little time to do them, right? See how many times the mind will work to pull your attention away from what’s actually in front of your face. It might even be exhausting counting to such high numbers that you abandon this observation due to pure annoyance. Not only is it evident that the mind distracts when you are reading, but it does this repeatedly throughout the day no matter what activity you are doing.
I’m taking a hypothetical guess that the vast majority of the population is not living in the moment. We are either so stressed out about what and where we need to be, or wallowing about a past event that we have no idea what the now moment provides. Because you hear lots of chatter about the now moment, campaigns and slogans touting to “Just Be Here Now,” that we can begin to tune it out. It’s almost like the mind slid in there just to use it as a distraction, so we don’t look at this moment. What it really doesn’t want us to see is what the now moment provides, not just be in the now, but what does it offer us? What’s sitting there waiting for us to see? What is available to us that we are being distracted from? What are we really afraid of in the now?
SYMBOL OF THE NOW
In and of itself the now is just the now. Nothing more. So what does the now moment mean? What is it symbolizing and pulling you toward? When you are able to stop and fully engage with what is currently happening, you are able to pull away from the cinematography and theatrics moving through your mind. Seeing what is directly in front of you forces the thinker to quiet, even if it’s only for a moment. This allows you to give much more attention to the current moment. You are suddenly available for whomever you are with, you are capable of handling whatever presents itself because you are one hundred percent present. You are not distracted by the mental chatter. You are using the mental construct to stay right where you are. You can use the mind at a greater capacity when you keep it disciplined. When the mind is given free reign to wonder into different pastures as you are trying to accomplish something, it makes it much harder to get it done. You are not fully present in the moment because you have allowed the mind to lure you into its cyclical playground.
When you have the ability and the discipline to pull out of the mind games, the now moment speaks to you. The door opens to a deep inner stillness which presents a sense of quiet calm. This field of awareness feels larger than the thinker, it overwhelms anything the mind can comprehend. In this field of consciousness, the mind’s commentary is meaningless. You are now completely connected and able to stay present with what you are doing in the world. This is what the now moment is really about. It is a much deeper connection to the essence of who you really are. And, it makes perfect sense that the small little mind works endlessly to keep this from you. When the aliveness of the field welcomes you, the mind may work tirelessly to create even more mental distractions to snap you out of your apparent trance. When the mind is not receiving your attention, when it feels left out, it will kick into high gear and make sure it has something to lure you in.
So, the now moment isn’t just about the simplicity of now, it is a call to your true nature, the highest self, the representative of Truth awaiting all of us to see it. It is the clarity, the peace, and the permanence that the now moment points toward. The only way to experience higher consciousness or the higher states of awareness is to be fully present in the moment. You can’t experience in the past, even if you have had a glimpse in your past, and you can’t feel it in the future, you can only ever fully know it in the present moment. The rest is a memory, or a foreshadow of what is to come, but it is not the absolute of the now. Some may say that the now moment is our real state of consciousness, however, do we really know for sure what lies beyond the body or the world? Do we really know if there is such a thing as NOW in the Reality of God? Until we are there, it is difficult to know this. All we can do while we are here, is stay connected to a deeper essence in every moment that we can.
FEAR, GUILT, AND WORRY
When we are falling into the mind’s mental stories, attachments, and dramatic ensembles, the amount of fear, guilt, and worry can be enough to keep us stuck for life. Look at your own mind. What do you fear about the future? Why are you consumed with worry about what might happen? Do you feel guilty about past events? Are they weighing on you heavily and you feel like a horrible person? All of these emotions create stress on an extreme level which makes it impossible to stay totally present. Even if you focus on what is currently happening, it won’t be long until one of these repetitive concerns creeps into your psyche. Let’s say you are at a movie you have been dying to see. As you sit and eagerly await the opening scene, a little voice sneaks up and reminds you of all you have to complete this weekend and now you are worried you won’t get any of it done. Instead of immersing yourself in the blockbuster film, you are now off in a world that hasn’t happened yet, and you aren’t even certain if it will. These are simply what if scenarios, possibilities, and a lot of imagination.
The unfortunate reality is all of this excessive thinking, believing, and worrying never allows you to see the real essence of who you are. The worry can be so powerful that you lose sight of what is real, of what is actually happening. You can become so addicted to the belief in your mind, that you will tell yourself it’s true, even if it isn’t. Your vision is blurred, and you can’t differentiate between what is true and what isn’t. The illusion of the mind has set the tone for your reality. The mind has taken such a strong hold that it is now the center of the universe. It is the one dictating your reality. This is the power behind the mind, and it isn’t always a good thing. When it goes off the rails, and you are blindly following, the present moment is nowhere in reach. There are too many mental disturbances keeping you from the now moment. It becomes easy to deny the invitation to your truest self.
Fear, guilt, and worry work hand in hand. They are partners in crime until you are capable of seeing through them. The driving force behind them all is fear, as it is the one emotion preventing you from getting past the heavy shield of armor, that protective layer the mind does not want you crossing over. Eventually, you will become so exhausted from this push and pull life, the storyteller in your mind will begin to seem like just that, a fictional narrative. When this feeling grows strong enough you will no longer wish to be shackled by guilt, worry, and the overseer fear. When you crossover, you will see that fear is the guardian of Truth. When you gain the strength to walk through its fiery path, you will see that there is nothing there to fear. There is only the essence of spirit, the vibrant field of awareness in the now moment awaiting your return. It stands by quietly, awaiting you patiently, with no criticism or judgment of how long it takes, for time is irrelevant. The only time is NOW, and it is always now.
GET REAL WITH WHERE YOU ARE
If you are looking to gain more awareness in your life, if you are seeking a more present experience void of mental obsessions, then it’s time to get real with where you are in your life. Take a long hard look at how you currently operate. Be willing to see what your mind is doing. Be willing to observe where you take the bait, where you follow its direction, and hang on to its every word. In order to free yourself from its death grip, first you must lay it all out there. Get it all out. Admit where you are believing a story, and when you are seeing the reality in front of you. You might experience severe emotional release when this happens. You might even resist it strongly and want to to run away from some real hard truths. This is normal. Your mind doesn’t want to find the present moment. It wants you to stay the true believer, the true believer that you were, the believer in a false image. But, it’s time to turn the corner, to take a new route, to open up to a completely new way of being, of seeing, and of experiencing this life. You are more than ready.
This may take time, in fact, a lifetime to see through the magician in your head. However, the good news is, you are wanting to make this shift. It is a necessary transition in order to become present with the now moment. The mental battleground must be seen, and it’s time to rise above the battle. If you stay in the crosshairs of fire, where the back-and-forth attack never ends, then the present moment will remain a mystery. When you remove yourself from the conflict, use your surroundings to check in. Look at where you are. Focus on what’s in front of you. Breathe in deeply and exhale slowly as you connect with the only existing moment. Listen to whomever is speaking to you. Do you hear what they are saying? Or is the chatterbox trying to move in and decipher the message? The actual words may be very different than any inference your mind will want to create. Notice are you really present for others when they need to tell you something? Are you off in your own world labelling, compartmentalizing, categorizing, and judging without actually listening? These are important questions to ask as you begin your journey into becoming present.
If the mind is so powerful, then use that inherent power to your advantage. Get disciplined. Become a student of the present moment so you can develop mastery over your own mind. Become the spiritual warrior that you are destined to be. Use the power of the mind to get focused. Detach from it. Pullback from the manipulations and see them for what they are, simply clever tricks to keep you stuck in the loop of lunacy. The more time you devote to seeing beyond mind, the more present you will be. The larger field of awareness will become more vibrant, more alive, and a stable presence in your life. The expansion will grow exponentially and become a regular presence in your life. It will shine brighter than you can ever imagine. All it takes is the desire and curiosity to know it. The rest will unfold all on its own. And it will only happen in the NOW.