Mid-May 2019 Newsletter

Hello, and a magical more-than-enough Mid-May to you!
Welcome, or welcome back, to my newsletter. Today's issue is about being fully here, or not. Enjoy!

For much of my earlier life I lived mostly in my head, daydreaming and imagining, only minimally connected to the outside world. Books were more interesting to me than the people around me, and safer. The printed page didn't feel like a threat or that it was about to criticize me or judge me, as I expected live humans to do. I could read at my own pace, then reread what particularly spoke to me, without the book getting annoyed.

When I was engrossed in a book as a child, I was fully engaged, tuned in to the book and nothing else. If I was outside up in the backyard maple tree reading or daydreaming, my mother would call and I did not hear her. I was "in my own world". I carried this world with me when I went out in public, and might pay more attention to the thoughts in my head than to the events happening in front of me. I was only partially present, not fully "plugged in".

Children are expected to have heads full of fantasy, so adults need to keep them safe, or they might impulsively run into a busy street or do something else dangerous. As we grow out of childhood, we learn there are times we need to be present, like in class, or when riding our bike, or later while driving. Dreaming and imagining are fine and I think even necessary, yet there are situations where being distracted can be harmful.

When I discovered how enjoyable school was, learning something new day after day, I wanted to be present for it, to absorb every speck I could, fully. As I've let go of most of my fear of others, I am now much more interested in connecting with people, listening and interacting with my full focus. Similarly, I can more easily stay "here" in an experience, without feeling like I need to escape to my thoughts of what I'll get to do later, when I have no demands on me, and no one is watching me. I'm a little sad thinking of how much I missed because I just wasn't present for it, even though I was right there.

When I see someone who isn't present, whether it's a distracted driver or a neighbor pretending to listen to me while clearly her mind and attention are elsewhere, first I make sure I pull my own attention back. I'll stop speaking to the person who isn't hearing me, and steer way clear of the distracted driver. Then I wonder how much of that person's life is spent this way, mind and attention in one place and body in another. This feels like having a foot each on 2 separate boats, heading in different directions!

The person who isn't present is a good example to me of how I don't want to be, literally missing the moments of my life. Being fully here, seeing and hearing and smelling and feeling, is such a gift! Books can describe Life, with its rich experiences, sensations, and emotions, and I'll always love to lose myself in a good book. And would you rather read about a delicious meal, or taste it yourself? Life, unfiltered through anyone's perceptions but your own, is the ultimate gift. Allow yourself to be here, so you can receive and appreciate it!

To read about being present as it relates to vision, click here.

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Please send me your questions and comments
Let me know what you've wondered about concerning energy medicine or vision or dreams. I'll be glad to write a short article addressing that topic. Thank you to those who have sent me questions, or see a question you asked me in a private session written about here. You're helping many other people! Enjoy the second half of your May. I'll write again in a couple of weeks. Take care!