A Year Of Living Intentionally Day 8: The Power of the Now
“The only way to survive eternity is to be able to appreciate each moment.”
— Lauren Kate —
Today I learned that when I cultivate mindfulness and live in the now, the whole day feels like one long meditation on the beauty of life.
This morning I woke up again not so long before my first call. I did a little bit of breath work as I contemplated starting my day but by the time I actually got out of bed it was 13 minutes before my first call.
But I didn’t panic and start running around like maniac as I often do. I knew I didn’t have time for my usual 30 minute meditation nor really five minutes if I wanted to be prepared for the call and not scare my colleagues with my morning hair (mission not accomplished by the way). So I just decided to go slow as I got ready. To be present.
I focused on being present. I was right there, in the now. Sinking into it. Feeling the clothes on my skin. Hearing the trickle of running water and feeling its coolness as I washed my face. Smelling the faint smell of coffee and then moments, later, the gurgle of the moka pot as it filled with the elixir I needed to start my day.
By the time my coffee was ready it was two minutes before my call.
And I felt ready, present and also alive.
The whole day went kind of like that. I had another few calls. Each one felt like a beautiful opportunity to connect with other humans. I wasn’t anywhere else but right there. Revelling in the fact that this is what I get to do each day. At the end of our call discussing our research one of my colleagues and I went down a rabbit hole looking for affordable accommodation (a bit of a scavenger hunt sometimes) at one of the cities we’re going to be going to for the climate negotiations later this year. It felt sneaky and fun.
Throughout the day I had many moments when I wanted to send one more email. Just one more. And then I’ll feel better — I told myself. But I know that’s a lie. There’s always one more email. One more document. One more call. One more everything. They all add up to a thousand tiny things that can fill a day, overwhelm a life.
But here’s the thing: I only have one body. And it needs nurturing. So I listened to it. When it tensed up I listened to it. I disciplined myself to shut down my laptop and do something else, even if just for a minute or two. To stretch. Shake. Dance. It was raining so I didn’t get down to the beach today. But I did go for a bike ride in the early afternoon. And as I was riding I was nowhere else but there. Feeling the cool breeze on my face. Not thinking a million thoughts about yesterday or tomorrow, the last moment or the next one. But living in this moment. This one right here. Right now.
Tomorrow I don’t have a morning call. It’s very likely that I’ll do a longer meditation. I generally do make time for an hour of breathwork and meditation each morning. I find it definitely makes a difference. But now I know that when I don’t have time for a dedicated meditation in the morning I can make each day a meditation simply by being present. Tapping into the deep well of the power of now.
Erin Roberts is a climate policy researcher and a curious human whose life is dedicated to making the world a little better every day. She is the founder and global lead of the Loss and Damage Collaboration and the founder and convener of the Climate Leadership Initiative.
