Have you considered the real meaning and value of the expression “stop and smell the roses?”
The sweet aroma of life can transform your thinking when you afford yourself a precious moment to breathe it in. By transforming your thinking, I mean bringing your awareness into the present moment. In other words, take a break from your busy mind and tune into your senses; seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and feeling what’s occurring now.
Only when being present can you become mindful of your thought stream and thereby consciously choose not to be caught up in issues of the past or worries about the future. In so doing, you become aware of a seemingly infinite amount of possibilities and creativity that’s not available to narrowly fixated thoughts. While being present, you have the freedom to choose new perspectives and to become more of who you really are.
A plausible reason why we put a lot of emphasis on action and exerting ourselves is because we do not understand the power of thought, especially thought that arises from present moment awareness. I read once that 90% of most people’s actions are spent trying to compensate for inappropriate thought. Action might accomplish a lot, but what if after a long climb you discover that your ladder is leaning against the wrong wall?
Action ought to be the last part of the manifestation process. First become present, then focus your thoughts on what you want to achieve, and then take the most straight forward step in that direction.
When we take time to be present, we access our creative potential, become receptive to our inner guidance and perceptive of opportunities that can be harnessed to achieve meaningful outcomes. Being present is reserved only for those who are experienced in meditation, but can be quite easily achieved through various means, e.g. Applied Open Awareness.
Being in the now affords you the freedom and flexibility to make necessary changes. Changing your circumstances begins by changing yourself, or at least your perspective. Since change is the only constant in life, you may as well learn to become comfortable with it. Practical ways to achieve this are shared in the Change Matters recording – how to be present, and in that state, navigate change resourcefully.
I used to think that stopping to smell the roses was just a nice idea. Now I know that doing so each day is one of the essentials of a good life!
Written by Jevon Dangeli – MSc Transpersonal Psychology, Coach & Trainer
