Practicing the Present Moment with Patience

Happy New Year 2012 to all my blog friends!  The beginning of the New Year is always the time for New Year’s resolutions.  We all have good intentions at the start of a new year.  Whatever your tradition is, I like to share with you my thoughts for this historical year 2012.

"We need to work together for peace, and balance with the other side. We need to take care of the Earth that feeds and shelters us. We need to put our entire mind and heart into pursuing unity and unity now, to confront the other side and preserve life."
~ Mayan prophecy

There is a prophecy in the Mayan tradition, predicting that on Dec. 21, 2012 will be “the end of world.”  They also say that the prophecy is not so much about “the end of the world” as about the end of a World Age, a time of transition from one World Age into another.   We also learn that this transition can either be cataclysmic or peaceful depending on the choices we all make.

A few weeks ago I wrote about entering the spiritual age.  The Mayans also believe that this transition will bring a shift to the planetary stewardship of women.  The feminine spirit will not only heal the planet but also bring a more peaceful situation.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight.  In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your path.”
~ Proverbs 3:5-6

Most people don’t think of God as a parent with male and female aspects.  The parent ship of the creator will play a big part in the paradigm shift for the years to come.  The reason our world is so out of balance is that it has been dominated since the beginning of time by too much male energy. 

Therefore, my New Year’s resolution is to live in the present moment to experience God as my parent.  In prayer we talk to God.  That communication should be more than just asking for things for ourselves and others.  Have you ever thought that God might also like to hear what you are doing and what you are going to do?  Prayer can be a promise and you can even tell God your New Year’s resolutions.  Ask God how they feel about your decisions.  One thing is for sure, that often our expectations will not appear in the way we think of.  That’s where we need patients and humility to accept the path God is guiding us on.  This is the time where we need flexibility and where living in the present moment helps.  In the here and NOW we can always feel o.k.  With this new consciousness we can experience a deeper sense of gratitude and can accept whatever comes next.

"The ability to be in the present moment is a major component of mental wellness."
~ Abraham Maslow

Feeling overwhelmed?
Here is a link to Carol Tuttle’s blog where she introduces a very simple method of letting go of stress or momentary overload.
 

The Seven P’s to live in the Presence

Prayer – is talking with God.  Meditation is listening to God.

Paradigm change – Repentance has to come first. We can only be renewed by cleaning up first. 

Patience – To live in the presence takes a lot of patience.  We have to constantly remind ourselves to be in the here and NOW, not regretting yesterday or projecting things into the future.  Our mind can easily wonder and it takes discipline and patience to focus on the presence.

Practice Mindfulness - Mindfulness is a skill.  Have you ever washed the dishes with mindfulness?  It creates a new awareness of the task at hand.  With focused intent you feel the warmth of the water, making bubbles with the soap; looking at the patterns of the plate, admiring the sparkle on the glass; or just enjoying the fact that the counter becomes clear after a healthy meal.  There are many ways to practice mindfulness by staying in the present moment. 

Praise – is a wonderful form of prayer.  Tell God what a wonderful world they made.  Praise them for your live and give thanks every day.  This video by Louie Schwartzberg is an appropriate example.

Promise – God has an ideal image of us.  Their purpose for us is to reach perfection, a unity of heart and mind which gives us divinity.  (Mt. 5:48 “You must be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect.”)  By reaffirming that ideal and telling God that we are longing and desiring that ideal, we create a higher vibration which will move us forward in our spiritual growth.

Prophecy – Let’s not forget and disregard ancient prophecies.  Our ancestors build the foundation we are standing on today.  History has been going through repetitive cycles.  We can learn from the mistakes of others and don’t have to repeat what they did wrong.  Prophecies are warnings for us to change course and trust in the Lord instead of just depending on our human wisdom.

I don’t believe that 2012 will be an easy year.  When we can accept whatever comes with an attitude of gratitude and “lean on the Lord” we can be prepared for the “New World Age.”

If we can accept all the changes as the “birth pains” for the new age and understand that this transition will help us to transform ourselves from self-centeredness to living for the sake of others, it will be a time of great excitement and discovery.  As Rev. Sun Myung Moon said, we need a revolution from selfishness to unselfishness. 

Hasn’t that been the hope of all mankind since the beginning of time?