The second we are thinking, we are out of the present moment. Therefore, whatever we are thinking about inherently falls into one of two buckets: either it already happened or it hasn’t happened yet. Often times we get confused and jumbled up and THINK that something is currently in the process of happening, but if we break it down, there are always some things that have already happened, and then there are the things that haven’t happened yet.
This is so important to realize, because it is a powerful way to help us navigate our thoughts and our worries.
If something has already happened, our job is to figure out how to radically accept it, however painful or undesirable or frustrating it may be. Find a deeper trust that anything that happens ultimately is for our good, no matter how hard it may be to see what that might be.
Whatever hasn’t happened yet, it is our job to figure out how to skillfully navigate our fear around what is to come.
Skillfully navigating our fear looks like getting as close to our concerns as possible, appreciating and respecting them, and getting as much real information as we possibly can about the situation. Once we do our best in gathering information, we must work towards visualizing as positive an outcome as possible while being prepared for the reasonable worst… Being ready for whatever comes, but believing in the best possible outcome.
And then, as things unfold, returning back to the radical acceptance of whatever comes, doing our best as it all happens to make the best of it, making the best possible outcome as likely as possible. It is an art, like surfing — so much is always out of our control yet we always have control over how we respond to whatever happens to us.
