Live Powerfully in the Present Moment

The time we spend on earth is very short when you consider
the scope of the universe. Often, we don't see the big
picture and get lost in the details. What is our purpose
in the few years we have? It is to become a living
embodiment of spirit while we are here. We must learn to
express spirit through our actions, emotions,
relationships, and in the work we do, which can be
anything from loving our children to being a bank teller.
We're supposed to nurture each other, love the planet that
provides us sustenance, evolve our soul in the process,
then go home,perhaps to try another version at some later
date.

There's no singular instruction manual for this type of
big picture thinking -- to a large degree, we make it up
as we go along. Remember, being born is like standing at
the end of a big river and jumping into an already moving
stream of people and events, all colored by the past --
the past others have left behind, but mostly the past we
create during our stay.

The Past is a Benefit

The past is important because we learn from it. It helps
us navigate through our current choices in order to evolve
our soul. We're in soul school the minute we hit the
ground until we cross over, coursework made possible by
the enriching and sometime challenging conditions we have
chosen. We chart a learning program well before we get
here, a structure that includes our parents, our gender,
and circumstances that will provide us with the greatest
opportunity for personal and spiritual growth, resulting
in true-self-empowerment.

Negative Programs Limit Our Present-Day Vision

Where we get into trouble is giving up our freedom to
make new choices within that structure based upon the
present, especially when we replay old, outdated
messages given to us by others that solidify our belief
system about who we are.
Negative programming results, or the way we automatically
approach present day circumstances, with a "can't do"
attitude. Negative programs limit our vision, preventing
us from feeling empowered about what we can accomplish in
life. Such negative thought patterns from the past
deplete our energy reserves, diminishing our ability to
make a difference in the lives of others today.

Have any of the following ideas become part of your
present experiences?

* You can't do that; girls just don't do that.
* You have to make me happy; I sacrificed everything for
you.
* This family comes first, not you.
* You don't deserve to be loved.
* I'm poor but good.
* The world is a terrible place.
* You'll fail/get hurt/be taken advantage of so don't
try.
* I don't have to apologize because I'm the parent.
* You make enough mistakes, and you'll learn how hard
life is.

I believe we set a mental agenda every day, and what we
see in our world, and our personal lives, is a result of
what we think. If you aren't getting what you want out
of life, then you must create a mental discipline that
replaces a negative belief system with one of hope,
appreciation of the past, and a decisive statement of
what you see happening in the present. The present is
what matters.

Change Your Outlook

Changing a mental outlook takes discipline. In our
culture we are taught to plan for disaster, be prepared,
and anticipate what might be coming around the bend.

It involves releasing outdated ideas and replacing them 
with ideas of what you want in the present moment, and 
accept it as already happening.

How many of you have heard "life is hard, a daily
struggle, life is tough"? How about "if you don't have
your health, you don't have anything"? I am of the
opinion that if you don't have excellent health, yes,
things might be fairly bleak, but there still is an awful
lot of life to be had. Life, in terms of our exchange
with others, has many meanings, but often we've got the
definition backwards. Life isn't all about taking it in.

It's mostly about what you give out.


Write a Daily Affirmation to Stay on Track

Write a daily affirmation that encourages you to look
inward and unseat old messages.

Ask yourself:

What blocks my ability to overcome and mend? 

Am I fearful of life? 

Do I always put my needs last because I feel unworthy? 


Change your mental outlook into a new assumption for
today by saying:

* Each day is an opportunity to give more to humanity.

* This unlimited universe gives me room to grow in
unlimited ways.

* By being who I am, I give to the world with excitement
and love.

* I become stronger because of the challenges I have
faced.

* I am worthy because I am my Divine Self.

* I no longer need to hold myself back from success and
prosperity.

* My life is a unique expression of creation.

* I love the journey I'm on. I construct my puzzle at my
own pace!


Move Forward with Hope and Joy

Remember, every day is new, no matter how you slice it.
The sun comes up in spite of our mistakes or the despair 
we must face. We are meant to continually move forward!
Getting stuck in the past holds us behind, a prisoner
within an incredible universe of opportunity.
True empowerment stems from living now, not as a reaction
to now from the past, or living with worry about what
might happen tomorrow, next month, or next year.

Every day, no matter what has happened to you in the 
past, is a new opportunity to begin painting your life
on a fresh, new canvas. 

Paint with powerful, present moment strokes. A mental
outlook centered in "now" allows you to realize more
self-power and confidence you'll need to ride the bumps
in life.

You can do it!

~ Charlene M. Proctor,Ph.D.~