Grand rising, dear Alchemist:
It is within the most fleeting moments of thoughtlessness that we sometimes experience the sensation of true happiness. Not happiness in the usual sense of the word - as excitement - but as genuine fulfillment to our core. With our minds emptied of both past and future, we are left with nothing but the present moment.
You see Alchemist, our ability to feel joy is often thwarted by our mind. Our mind plays a role of a phantom self which exists only to solve problems and ensure our survival. It overwhelms the true self, which is the observer that is capable of embracing the present moment.
By constantly living in either the past or the future, we waste away in the present. In a sense, we are like time travelers who only visit the most brutal of eras. We are addicted to thinking. Most of us spend all day and night worrying, contemplating, planning, and fantasizing about things that aren’t real, since the only thing that is real is the present moment.
Getting over the past can be difficult. Especially considering the fact that there is no way to deal with a problem that has already happened. Living in past experiences can often leave us feeling helpless, and reliving them over and over becomes a false coping method, where in our mind believes so strongly that something can still be done to rectify a mistake.
However, the greatest trap of all is the belief that your happiness can be found in the future. That some far away, possible scenario will set you free. We put our faith in the future when our present seems bleak. This may give us a momentary feeling of euphoria, which will end abruptly once we meet with a misaligned future or when our plans are delayed further.
All the while, the gift of the present has completely eluded us. Instead of hoping for a brighter tomorrow, we should see the treasure that is right before us.
The now is filled with bliss.
Something as simple as the sensation of having a body can be a joyous experience when brought into our awareness.
How many cool breezes have gone by unnoticed? How many days have we spent grieving over time lost?
And most importantly, how many more moments are we going to let slip away?
Be in the eternal now.
With love and sincerity,
The Alchemy by LA Counsel
