The Power of Now

I was reading The Power of Now last night at at timely juncture. Earlier in the day I had met with Posi-Pair's CEO and had come home full of dreams and ambitions and fears. Part of me was fairly vibrating with excitement at the image of myself in a power suit, meeting with some future board of directors and making such money that my dream style French country house on 20 acres with a pond and sun room and large attached greenhouse wouldn't impair our FI journey.

These grand schemes twirled about while at the same time I had the moments of panic, even during lunch with Greg when he was suggesting my meeting this or that person, and I was secretly thinking, "Okay, this isn't real right? We're just sort of playing with an idea; we don't really think I can pull this off?"

And betwixt the two highs and lows was a rather exhausting place. It was all just monkey chatter in my brain. Rather than enjoying the lunch or the meeting, part of my mind was far off in its own make believe world.

A few pages of Eckhart Tolle's book brought some quiet. His theory is that we have all we need in the now. We are at most peace in the now. The brain wants to escape the now into the future or the past, because in the now it has no power. In the now we are experiencing life, not planning, plotting or regretting.

And calm once again, I had to remind myself, there is no magic land. NOW is the magic land. I have a husband I love dearly, two beautiful kids I adore, a warm, happy home, a great dog, wonderful large gardens, parents I think the world of who are still around and healthy enough to play with and enjoy my kids, friends, extended family, saved money in the bank, plenty of food to eat and enough good books to see me through many a winter's night.

If I'm not happy and content with all that I have, which is a LOT, why would I think I would be happier with even more? And this is not to say that I don't think I would enjoy those things, I will. But what I want to do is to enjoy the journey, to enjoy the hours and the problems and opportunities.

I haven't been able to think of a name for my company and late last night that was getting me stressed as the Posi-Pair woman suggested I should have business cards ready for the November 11 conference. How can I have a business card if I don't even have a name? And this sort of angst is part of the reason I postponed building a company for so long. But now, with reminders all around that it is the journey, not the French style country home or the CEO title that will finally make me content, I take it hour by hour. I hope those of you building a business or a book or a career or a family this year enjoy that journey in each moment as well. Best wishes!!! Eileen