Are you resisting this moment's experience? When we push away the present moment experience, we are not present. We're wishing our experience was different than it is, we're creating tension where maybe there doesn't need to be any.
When I teach about allowing or accepting this moment just as it is - because some ease and flow can be generated by doing so - I am never talking about when you or someone else is being harmed. In those cases action to get yourself to safety is necessary. Mindfulness is never passive.
But for everyday stressors, we create a lot of extra stress by not accepting the moments of our life. I am reminded by a story a student shared about spending hours in line at the DMV. Many adults living in the U.S. tend to resist moments spent doing the necessary but sometimes complicated/sometimes mundane tasks of adulting. But this person had a different and even lovely experience.
The story goes like this: knowing at least an hour or two wait was ahead of her the student started off with a 3 minute meditation as she got to the back of the line. She immediately primed her attention for presence by making that decision. She used the time waiting to listen to audible book and organize her photos on her iPhone. Instead of seeing the time as wasted or a threat which would have sent her into a stress reaction, she saw the wait as an opportunity.
Gratefulness arose as she looked through photos of her family and friends. Then she began to move her body a bit since the line was distanced because of Covid-19 protocols. She reported feeling accomplished as she got some audio reading in, cleaned up her phone and exercised. She noticed all the other people waiting patiently. She heard music from a nearby car and saw a person gently dancing. She turned her attention toward the positive during her wait. This student ended up having 2 hours of uninterrupted time to herself and she mindfully tended it. In the end, she shared her pleasant experience with the DMV worker and thought,
"I just waited in line for 2 hours and instead of being angry/irritated I was productive and practicing mindfulness. And the icing on my awesome realizations cake is that if I had to do it again I would be OK."
Practicing mindfulness helps us know that we can decide how to be with the moments of our life. Noticing where you resist and where you allow your experiences to be can change your life and put you back in the driver's seat. You decide.
Great post!