I’ve been feeling a little guilty for not posting lately; I promised myself that I would post at least weekly.  Alas, work, namely the J-O-B—the main one, has taken over in many ways.

But I admit the guilt quickly fades when I remember a post topic I’ve been thinking about for quite some time: the staying-in-the-moment, be-here-now, live-in-the-now kind of post. The past has passed, and the future will be created by what we do now.  A lot of us are well aware of these concepts, especially lately because of press, books, Oprah, songs and expanding spirituality and openness. But in college, before I knew about Ram Dass (Remember, Be Here Now), Eckhardt Tolle (The Power of Now) or even yoga, I coined a phrase in my dorm that people started quoting, all because I was trying to convince my boyfriend at the time to let go of the past that he always talked about, the past that got him down, the past that started plaguing many of us who listened and heard the same, wounded stories again and again and again.  “Live in the NOW!” I posted about his dorm-room door frame in a large, handmade sign; those words became a mantra that initially made us laugh but later made us realize the underlying meaning.

And now, even beyond Ram Dass, Eckhardt Tolle and several musicians and songwriters like Ray Lamontagne  (“Be Here Now”), I’m noticing a general sense among many people I meet and know that in such uncertain times, especially, all we really know and have is now.  Somehow, I’ve noticed more relief and acceptance and peace with this belief and practice, as well. I could lose my job in May, and I’m reminded of this possibility at recent faculty meetings, in alarming Colorado newspaper articles about more budget cuts in education, and among the many fearful and low-morale conversations in offices and hallways on campus. Sure, I need to have some sort of plan in mind, but right now I am still employed, and I believe in doing my job, enjoying the teaching moments and especially realizing the gifts in each experience, especially the not-so-pleasant, nods-from-the-Universe type of moments that seem to say something else is indeed on the horizon.  If I weren’t paying attention, though, in the moment, I might miss something important and much of the information I’ve already received.

More deeply, we really taste the flavors of life when we stay in the moment. If we’re thinking of something else instead of just focusing on what we’re seeing, tasting, feeling or witnessing right now, we’re not really in these experiences. Distraction—what I briefly wrote about in my very first post of this blog. As a human, I find myself at times pondering the future and some big changes, but I can only stay there for a short time because I often realize that I can’t do anything in that very moment, so until I’m in the moment of doing something, I need to let go of the worry, the fears, the self-doubt. And I feel alive. Lighter. More peaceful. Truly.

It seems that texting and iPods and the latest phones are examples of not being in the moment—unless those things are all one is doing. Unfortunately, though, on a near-daily basis, I see college students all around me, not just talking to the person beside them, but texting at the same time or having one iPod earbud in one ear.  I now need to have a syllabus policy that states I will ask a student to leave my class, if he/she is texting during class, because most students can’t do just one thing at a time.  And I’ve even had a few students thank me for asking them to stop texting and reminding them of the policy.  “Thank you so much.  I just can’t stop [texting],” one student confessed. After teaching for 12 years at the college level, I notice that most students don’t retain things like they used to; I find myself having to post the same information in three different places, say it at least a few times in class, and so forth. Why? It seems the brain can’t easily focus on one thing for most, and we can’t entirely blame the new generations, either; they’ve been raised as multi-taskers. And not that people can’t do two things at once and still be aware, focused and in-the-moment. I just think a lot of people are afraid to be in the moment, or we’re trying to maximize each moment we have (yes, I’ve walked my dog and talked on my cell phone at the same time, but I don’t like to do it often, as I notice I don’t get to enjoy my walk with Harley and time in nature, something I need and enjoy, as much).

But back to the important message: Be here now. I love those words. Given our human natures, though, I guess we can’t be in every moment, but trying to be as much as possible and staying aware of our patterns seem to be most important. Recognize the value in a moment. See all you can see, hear all you can hear, touch, taste… and note what helps you get there and stay there, at least for a long while. Is it practicing meditation? breathing? being with kids? camping? walking or running? doing yoga? concentrating? actually doing something else? Notice how worry fades and enjoyment increases.

Another thought: If we can’t stay in the moment we’re in, maybe another focus is needed, so we can be. I admit that I was grading papers just an hour ago, but my mind kept wandering to writing for my blog. I tried to stay in the grading moment but knew I couldn’t until I wrote. So there. Now I can get to the grading moment once again. And soon the sleeping moments (it’s 1 a.m.).