Super Ego Squishing Tool #2: Practice Present Moment Awareness
Ok, it’s time for another Super Ego Squishing Tool but let’s recap what we’ve discussed so far.
So far we’ve learned two Secrets:
1. You are not the little voice in your head.
And the 1st Ego Squishing Tool: Practice Awareness and how you can practice awareness during moments of high emotion and when you’re in doubt.
Hopefully at this point you’re starting to realize that by becoming aware of your ego/the little voice in your head, you can start to dampen it’s control over your life so your soul and spirit and True Self can start to shine and soar.
That said, let’s add another Ego Squishing Tool to your arsenal beyond just plain old awareness. You’re a smart cookie so I’m sure you’re ready to move on a bit right?
Here’s Super Eqo Squishing Tool #2: Practice Present Moment Awareness
Adding these two words – Present Moment – to this tool is an important refinement. Plain old awareness is just recognizing that you have a little voice. Present moment awareness stops you in your tracks and puts you solidly in the here and now. So why is this so important?
Surely you’ve heard this quote before right?
“Yesterday is History, Tomorrow a Mystery, Today is a Gift, That’s why it’s called the Present”
It’s not clear exactly who said this first (and honestly, it’s a little hokey but it serves my point so just go with it) and there’s a few different versions but it’s often used to remind people that yesterday is over (so why dwell on it?) and that we can’t predict the future (so why worry about it?)
Practicing Present Moment Awareness – or sitting in “The Now” – is an incredible way to silence your little voice because it gets sort of clueless when it can’t replay the past or imagine horrible outcomes about the future. It’s also powerful because in that space you have a moment to be you and to realize that there truly is nothing but the Now or the Present Moment.
Think of all the energy you waste replaying the past in your head. Why? It’s over! All you’re doing is keeping yourself locked in the past which stops you from developing, growing and moving forward.
And think about all the energy you waste worrying about the future! It hasn’t happened yet! Plus if you fill your mind with worry and fill it with that type of chaotic energy, you actually might create the crappy outcome you’ve been worrying about. That would suck!
Again, this is one of those tools that is reaaaally easy to type and say but very difficult to practice because our mind loves to play in the past and future. I find however, that when I can take a deep breath (or two or three ideally) and just pay attention to where I am, I not only appreciate that moment and experience my surroundings more, I also relax because I’m not worrying about anything else.
There is lots written about Present Moment Awareness and I would be horribly remiss if I didn’t mention Eckhart Tolle’s incredible book “The Power of Now” at this point. I have to be honest, it’s sort of a tough book to read in the sense that it’s pretty darn mind blowing but I also think this book is another best kept secret by adults so it’s worth at least being aware of now. (Get it? Aware of now? Oh never mind…)
My goal is to spend some time in the next post or two talking about present moment awareness and how to practice it and why it’s beneficial. It’s a really simple but really really powerful tool. Go ahead and try it right NOW!
The Secret Handbook 4 Teens 