Focusing attention into the present moment almost always requires an effort, because doing so is not our habit.
Our minds drift to the past and to the future.
We squander our power of attention on thinking and re-thinking of how we are right and another is wrong.
We imagine ourselves, our lives, and do so unconsciously of the fact that we are doing so right now.
As a result, we confuse our imaginary scenarios with reality.
Beyond this, not seeing how we ourselves create that reality, we feel powerless to do anything about it.
All of your suffering is imaginary.
You gain nothing by believing in this, though.
You have to see how it is so to be able to do something about it.
Focusing your attention onto the now, making your present experience a conscious experience, reveals not only that your suffering is imaginary, but far more importantly, how it is imaginary.
In other words, you get to really see yourself creating the imaginary condition that hurts.
Seeing this is all importance, because when you see what you are doing you can do something about it.
If you are not aware of the fact that you are in the process of placing your hand upon a burning hot object, your fate is sealed.
You will burn your hand.
But if you see your hand moving onto an object that you know is hot, you can withdraw your hand from the action that is sure to lead to your suffering.
The same principle applies to every form of suffering.
You experience suffering because you unconsciously step into the experience of it.
That experience begins in your imagination.
By paying close attention to the present moment, to your present experience, you will begin to see that this is so, and how this is so.
Thus, you will be able to withdraw your consciousness from the experience of suffering, and find peace.
Inner peace, harmony, balance, love and joy are your natural states.
You don't have to make yourself feel them.
You need only to let yourself be.
That is, let up on yourself.
Stop pushing and driving yourself so hard.
Stop relying on stress, hurry, worry to fulfill your responsibilities and achieve your goals.
Stop imagining what you do not want to experience.
The word "stop" here can be misleading.
You cannot really stop a thought.
However, you can pay sufficient attention to the present moment to realize that the thought is just the thought.
You can see how that thought is impacting you.
When you see this, you can choose to let go of the thought by focusing once again on your present experience.
Awareness of your present experience is different from thinking about your experience.
You can think of yourself as sitting in this room.
You can think of yourself as being in debt, in a problematic marriage, in a dangerous situation.
You are not who you think you are and you are not going through what you think you are going through.
You are going through the thought of those things when you think of those things.
Awareness of present experience means being directly aware of what is going on in this instant.
If you notice yourself thinking, then you become aware of yourself thinking.
Ironically, the instant that you realize you are thinking, you stop thinking the thought you were thinking.
You may begin thinking, "I just had that thought.
" As you practice living with consciousness focused on the present moment, as you practice the discipline of doing that more and more, you will see how you are creating your present experience right now.
As you see that, you will be able to follow the guidance of your awareness to let go of experiences you find disturbing.
You will, in fact, be able to let go of the experience of lack of anything you might want.
Paying conscious attention to your present experience empowers you to enter the destiny of total fulfillment that your heart desires.
This involves a long process though.
The more attention you pay to the present moment, the more layers of unconsciousness you discover in yourself.
As my wisdom teacher used to say, it is not what you do consciously that causes your problems, but what you do unconsciously.
As you grow more aware in the present moment, you automatically stop producing problems for yourself.
At the same time you realize that no one but you gives you your problems.
Our minds drift to the past and to the future.
We squander our power of attention on thinking and re-thinking of how we are right and another is wrong.
We imagine ourselves, our lives, and do so unconsciously of the fact that we are doing so right now.
As a result, we confuse our imaginary scenarios with reality.
Beyond this, not seeing how we ourselves create that reality, we feel powerless to do anything about it.
All of your suffering is imaginary.
You gain nothing by believing in this, though.
You have to see how it is so to be able to do something about it.
Focusing your attention onto the now, making your present experience a conscious experience, reveals not only that your suffering is imaginary, but far more importantly, how it is imaginary.
In other words, you get to really see yourself creating the imaginary condition that hurts.
Seeing this is all importance, because when you see what you are doing you can do something about it.
If you are not aware of the fact that you are in the process of placing your hand upon a burning hot object, your fate is sealed.
You will burn your hand.
But if you see your hand moving onto an object that you know is hot, you can withdraw your hand from the action that is sure to lead to your suffering.
The same principle applies to every form of suffering.
You experience suffering because you unconsciously step into the experience of it.
That experience begins in your imagination.
By paying close attention to the present moment, to your present experience, you will begin to see that this is so, and how this is so.
Thus, you will be able to withdraw your consciousness from the experience of suffering, and find peace.
Inner peace, harmony, balance, love and joy are your natural states.
You don't have to make yourself feel them.
You need only to let yourself be.
That is, let up on yourself.
Stop pushing and driving yourself so hard.
Stop relying on stress, hurry, worry to fulfill your responsibilities and achieve your goals.
Stop imagining what you do not want to experience.
The word "stop" here can be misleading.
You cannot really stop a thought.
However, you can pay sufficient attention to the present moment to realize that the thought is just the thought.
You can see how that thought is impacting you.
When you see this, you can choose to let go of the thought by focusing once again on your present experience.
Awareness of your present experience is different from thinking about your experience.
You can think of yourself as sitting in this room.
You can think of yourself as being in debt, in a problematic marriage, in a dangerous situation.
You are not who you think you are and you are not going through what you think you are going through.
You are going through the thought of those things when you think of those things.
Awareness of present experience means being directly aware of what is going on in this instant.
If you notice yourself thinking, then you become aware of yourself thinking.
Ironically, the instant that you realize you are thinking, you stop thinking the thought you were thinking.
You may begin thinking, "I just had that thought.
" As you practice living with consciousness focused on the present moment, as you practice the discipline of doing that more and more, you will see how you are creating your present experience right now.
As you see that, you will be able to follow the guidance of your awareness to let go of experiences you find disturbing.
You will, in fact, be able to let go of the experience of lack of anything you might want.
Paying conscious attention to your present experience empowers you to enter the destiny of total fulfillment that your heart desires.
This involves a long process though.
The more attention you pay to the present moment, the more layers of unconsciousness you discover in yourself.
As my wisdom teacher used to say, it is not what you do consciously that causes your problems, but what you do unconsciously.
As you grow more aware in the present moment, you automatically stop producing problems for yourself.
At the same time you realize that no one but you gives you your problems.