"NOW" hear this!

"Those who live in the past, stay there. Those who live in the future, never get there.

And those who live for moment....live!"

~Mark Shapiro~

 

Huh-lowwww, Gawjus!! Yep, I'm talking to you, 2011!! I have never been so excited to see "someone" in my whole life. Out with the old, in with the old. Nope, that's not a type-o, it's called reality. Two can play this game. Here's how I see it. Every new year brings the same old same old; everyone's gonna be a new this or a new that, including myself. But, by the end of the year, nothing has changed except the added stress because, whadya know, nothing changed! It's a vicious cycle. So this year I've decided to use a bit of reverse psychology and simply live in the now; the present moment. I've punted the past and told my future I'd get back to her because I'm too busy enjoying my present. It's Now O'Clock!



Without the added pressure of having to change, I've found, thus far, that I'm actually changing even more. It makes so much sense when you think about it. No one likes being told what to do. When there's no pressure there's no stressor. hahaha Wonder if Nike would like to use that?

Back when I was a "gym rat," I had my routine; my very rigid, OCD'ish, quite frankly I'm missing the point here, routine. I mean to tell you, I was so rigid that when someone wasn't finished with the "Fanny Fixer" when my watch said it was time to fix my fanny, it sent me into a tailspin....no joke! So one day during my workout, this gym nazi comes up to me and taps me on my shoulder while I'm running on the treadmill. "OH NO YOU DIDN'T JUST THROW A WRENCH INTO MY RITUAL WHEN I STILL HAD 24 MINUTES LEFT TO GO!! Yes... she did.

It seems there was this little old man who wanted a treadmill and I had been on longer than the allotted 30 minute time limit (when others were waiting). So without so much as a cool down, I was forced to abandon my ship. I was panicking like a fish out of water when the gym nazi suggested that I go to the Elliptical machine to finish up my workout. "But you DON'T UNDERSTAND! The Elliptical is NOT part of my routine," I argued. Then she proceeds to tell me how much better it would be for me if I would mix it up a little; work other areas. 'Whatever, you Jillian Michaels wannabe!'

All the while I am pouting like a 10 year old that has just had their video game taken away. I was making god awful facial expressions, rolling my eyes and calling her all sorts of "fun" names inside my head. I was just about to put my fingers in my ears and start la, la, la'ing, when I realized that my two hour childcare limit was almost up....so I stomped over to the Elliptical while she gave me a "thatta girl" nod. "Yeah, I'll show you, gym nazi! I'll continue to pout the entire time I'm doing whatever it is that this machine does...you'll see!" I could tell I completely ruined her day.....not!

I was totally convinced that I wouldn't be able to sleep that night, work the next day or EVER get through life the way I knew it, again. You probably think I'm kidding. Anyway, I put my headphones back on and Snap's, "You've Got The Power," was playing. I could workout on a sawhorse as long as that song was playing! (God works in mysterious ways!) So I start pumping the Elliptical to the oh so cool beat of Snap and next thing I know, I've got a big smile on my face and a new "best friend!" Guess you could say I "Snapped" out of it; threw caution to the wind and simply enjoyed being in the moment. I liked it, a lot! "Things turn out best for people who make the best out of the way things turn out” so says JohnWooden.

 

That said, I'm resolving to no longer seek out the happily ever after and just show up for the happily ever now. It's been nothing short of liberating. You've got "The Power!" And here's a link to Snap just in case you need a little nudge. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z33tH-JdPDg

See ya Now & Later,

The Paper Whisperer