“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift of God, which is why we call it the present.” ~ Bil Keane
Have you heard the term, “The Present is Perfect?” It’s a term used in spirituality, the Laws of Attraction, and coaching. It may be foreign to you. Maybe it evokes an, “Oh, I heard the term.” The idea is to “ live in the present moment.”
Living in the present moment tends to be easier when life is going your way and things are smooth sailing. How about in the midst of a huge change or loss in life? How on earth can the present be perfect? What if your world says, “I’m living with a chronic illness, My ___ is sick, dying. We have ___ bad things happening to us.” I’m on this journey now with you. Let’s dig deeper into living in the present and how the present can be perfect. It’s a gift after all so let’s open it NOW!
Here’s an explanation on the concept from Thomas Leonard’s book, The Portable Coach, “When you recognize and accept that things are the way they are, and that the present is all we truly have, then it’s not too much of a leap to believe that the present is perfect. Maybe it’s not optimum, but it is perfect to learn from and perfect to grow from.”
I’ll break these concepts down into actionable steps you can take to be more present and find ways the present can be perfect. I’ll even share some of my work and reflections in this area. I am still learning and growing in this area of life. I look at it as a journey. Here’s the quote broken down into bite size chunks.
Notice the key words.
1. Recognize and accept things are the way they are.
a. This means denial or “sugar coating” life isn’t going to lead to accepting or finding the present perfect. It’ll be shoved under the rug to mold and multiply or become sugar-coated goo. Yuck.
b. Even if “it” is upsetting, bothersome or awful. Move toward accepting it vs. running away/denial.
c. You wish it were different. That doesn’t change it. There’s a saying my late father-in-law used to say, “Wish in one hand and sh*t in the other and see which one fills up first.” Ouch. So true.
d. I’m not fond of the saying, “It is what it is.” However, it is a start in recognizing and accepting things as they are. After my first husband died, I adopted this saying a lot. I didn’t really like it but it really captured where I was and what I was feeling.
2. The present is all we truly have.
a. When you are in the present what does that mean to you?
b. Live and focus on the present.
c. Be mindful.
d. Take time in the morning/evening to just be. Take deep breaths; notice your breathing, smells, sounds, and feelings.
e. Take time to be in nature.
f. Move your body – dance, walk, run, yoga. – Stay present and pay attention to your body when moving.
g. Avoid worrying about the future.
How do I find perfection in the present? It used to be really difficult for me. After practice and focus it’s becoming easier. I use a variety of things to get me into the present and keep me there: exercise, walks, talking to family, meditation, prayer, and journaling.
3. Believe that the present is perfect
a. Thomas Leonard says, “The present is perfect because you say so.” (Much easier said than done…)
b. Declare it, believe it. Our minds are so very powerful.
c. Try it –say it out loud, tell yourself in the mirror. See what happens and what you think and feel next.
For me, this is a stretch at the moment. Mom’s in hospice care and I’m over 1100 miles away. Getting that news brings up all kinds of feelings and thoughts that are much less than perfect. However, if I allow myself to think of what is perfect about this, I know that there is much to be grateful for, she made her choice of her own free will, no one had to make a choice for her. What do I know about the future? Who knows, this could be the best thing that’s happened for her in a long while healthcare wise. I don’t like it but I accept it. Step one – accept.
4. Maybe it’s not optimum.
a. There will still be life and things to deal with that are not perfect.
b. Things will still be not as you wanted, preferred, desired, or fair.
c. The universe may be perfect maybe just not for you right at this moment. I think we may understand later how perfect it was.
Life still has its hurts, sadness, and frustrations. We live in a society where there’s plenty to distract and dismay us. The key is to tune into what you want and tune out what you don’t want.
5. The present is perfect to learn from and perfect to grow from.
a. Ask what can I learn from this experience?
b. How can I grow from this experience?
c. If you open up to the learning and growth from positive and negative experiences your life those around you can be enriched by your knowledge and growth.
I know when I lost my first husband that when I was able to think about what I could learn and how I could grow from the experience was the turning point for me. It helped me move from deep painful grief to starting the healing journey. I’ve grown and learned SO much about life, love, and relationships since that time. My life has been so blessed and is so rich. I try to remember in all situations good and bad to ask myself – what can I learn from this and how could I grow from this? I ask, what is God teaching me or allowing me to teach others?
So there you go, my thoughts on living in the present and how to make the present perfect. After all, it’s a gift so, let’s open it and see what we can find. Go live, love, and laugh! May your present be perfect!!
I’d love to hear from you if you found this blog useful or thought provoking, I’d Click like, share, comment, and/or email me.
If you would like to explore coaching from me, I’d be honored to embark on that journey together with you. Check out my website to contact me. If you want more life and business tips register for the newsletter - see the sidebar on the right.
Wishing you Peace & Blessings,
Teresa Bitner
Bold Fulfilled Business & Life Coach –Change and Loss Specialty
[email protected]
http://www.boldfulfilledlifecoach.com
Please like and share using the links below! Thank you!
Have you heard the term, “The Present is Perfect?” It’s a term used in spirituality, the Laws of Attraction, and coaching. It may be foreign to you. Maybe it evokes an, “Oh, I heard the term.” The idea is to “ live in the present moment.”
Living in the present moment tends to be easier when life is going your way and things are smooth sailing. How about in the midst of a huge change or loss in life? How on earth can the present be perfect? What if your world says, “I’m living with a chronic illness, My ___ is sick, dying. We have ___ bad things happening to us.” I’m on this journey now with you. Let’s dig deeper into living in the present and how the present can be perfect. It’s a gift after all so let’s open it NOW!
Here’s an explanation on the concept from Thomas Leonard’s book, The Portable Coach, “When you recognize and accept that things are the way they are, and that the present is all we truly have, then it’s not too much of a leap to believe that the present is perfect. Maybe it’s not optimum, but it is perfect to learn from and perfect to grow from.”
I’ll break these concepts down into actionable steps you can take to be more present and find ways the present can be perfect. I’ll even share some of my work and reflections in this area. I am still learning and growing in this area of life. I look at it as a journey. Here’s the quote broken down into bite size chunks.
Notice the key words.
1. Recognize and accept things are the way they are.
a. This means denial or “sugar coating” life isn’t going to lead to accepting or finding the present perfect. It’ll be shoved under the rug to mold and multiply or become sugar-coated goo. Yuck.
b. Even if “it” is upsetting, bothersome or awful. Move toward accepting it vs. running away/denial.
c. You wish it were different. That doesn’t change it. There’s a saying my late father-in-law used to say, “Wish in one hand and sh*t in the other and see which one fills up first.” Ouch. So true.
d. I’m not fond of the saying, “It is what it is.” However, it is a start in recognizing and accepting things as they are. After my first husband died, I adopted this saying a lot. I didn’t really like it but it really captured where I was and what I was feeling.
2. The present is all we truly have.
a. When you are in the present what does that mean to you?
b. Live and focus on the present.
c. Be mindful.
d. Take time in the morning/evening to just be. Take deep breaths; notice your breathing, smells, sounds, and feelings.
e. Take time to be in nature.
f. Move your body – dance, walk, run, yoga. – Stay present and pay attention to your body when moving.
g. Avoid worrying about the future.
How do I find perfection in the present? It used to be really difficult for me. After practice and focus it’s becoming easier. I use a variety of things to get me into the present and keep me there: exercise, walks, talking to family, meditation, prayer, and journaling.
3. Believe that the present is perfect
a. Thomas Leonard says, “The present is perfect because you say so.” (Much easier said than done…)
b. Declare it, believe it. Our minds are so very powerful.
c. Try it –say it out loud, tell yourself in the mirror. See what happens and what you think and feel next.
For me, this is a stretch at the moment. Mom’s in hospice care and I’m over 1100 miles away. Getting that news brings up all kinds of feelings and thoughts that are much less than perfect. However, if I allow myself to think of what is perfect about this, I know that there is much to be grateful for, she made her choice of her own free will, no one had to make a choice for her. What do I know about the future? Who knows, this could be the best thing that’s happened for her in a long while healthcare wise. I don’t like it but I accept it. Step one – accept.
4. Maybe it’s not optimum.
a. There will still be life and things to deal with that are not perfect.
b. Things will still be not as you wanted, preferred, desired, or fair.
c. The universe may be perfect maybe just not for you right at this moment. I think we may understand later how perfect it was.
Life still has its hurts, sadness, and frustrations. We live in a society where there’s plenty to distract and dismay us. The key is to tune into what you want and tune out what you don’t want.
5. The present is perfect to learn from and perfect to grow from.
a. Ask what can I learn from this experience?
b. How can I grow from this experience?
c. If you open up to the learning and growth from positive and negative experiences your life those around you can be enriched by your knowledge and growth.
I know when I lost my first husband that when I was able to think about what I could learn and how I could grow from the experience was the turning point for me. It helped me move from deep painful grief to starting the healing journey. I’ve grown and learned SO much about life, love, and relationships since that time. My life has been so blessed and is so rich. I try to remember in all situations good and bad to ask myself – what can I learn from this and how could I grow from this? I ask, what is God teaching me or allowing me to teach others?
So there you go, my thoughts on living in the present and how to make the present perfect. After all, it’s a gift so, let’s open it and see what we can find. Go live, love, and laugh! May your present be perfect!!
I’d love to hear from you if you found this blog useful or thought provoking, I’d Click like, share, comment, and/or email me.
If you would like to explore coaching from me, I’d be honored to embark on that journey together with you. Check out my website to contact me. If you want more life and business tips register for the newsletter - see the sidebar on the right.
Wishing you Peace & Blessings,
Teresa Bitner
Bold Fulfilled Business & Life Coach –Change and Loss Specialty
[email protected]
http://www.boldfulfilledlifecoach.com
Please like and share using the links below! Thank you!
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