Whenever you're stressed about something, ask yourself, what's the problem right now?
Yes, I understand bad things could happen in the future. I understand you might not be prepared. I understand you might owe a lot of money. I understand your kids might get hurt. I understand those are all possibilities.
But I'm talking about now. Right now. What's the problem?
I see what you're doing. You're thinking into the future again. Bring your mind back to now. In fact, bring your whole being back to now. Focus your attention on your stomach moving in and out. Look at your feet. Where are you standing? Is there a problem right here, right now, right where you are?
That's right. There is no problem. How do I know? Well, if there was in fact a problem right now, you'd be dealing with it. You'd be taking care of business as the so called problem was taking place.
But the fact is, you're here, reading this. If you had more important matters to take care of, you'd be doing that. But you're not. Instead, you found this article, and so whatever problem you think you have, is really just your mind creating a melodrama, and your emotions following suit.
That's all that's happening.
I know the stress is uncomfortable, and it sure feels like a problem. I can hear you saying, What do you mean there's no problem now?! I owe all this money! I screwed up my relationship with my best friend! I can't visit my grandparents because of this virus! I have so many problems!
Ah, how dramatic our minds can be. They're funny, aren't they? Always creating mountains out of molehills, thinking they're doing us good, but really, just making us miserable.
The fact of the matter is, when you bring all of your attention back to what's happening right now, you realize that there is no problem. There's only this moment, which you then interact with as best as you can.
If and when the time comes where you actually find yourself in a hairy situation - say, in the back of an alley with someone following you - then you do your damn best do get out of there and protect yourself!
And then guess what - once you're out safe, then that's over with. But I'm not talking about the situation in the alley. I'm talking about our lives outside of that alley. I'm talking about when we've arrived home from the alley after a close call, and our minds are still giving us trouble about it. Not only that night, but for how long? A month? A year? How about our whole lives! We have trouble sleeping years later because of that one moment in the alley!
When our focus is on something other than what's right here, right now, we stress, we panic, we lose our minds.
Physical pain is another one that sure feels like a problem. When we can't get comfortable because we're in so much pain, you might wonder how that isn't a problem. Well, first of all, no one is saying it's not unpleasant. But when you bring all of your focus to the present moment, you see that the pain becomes nothing more than moment to moment sensations that you experience, albeit uncomfortable ones.
You soon realize that most of the suffering actually comes from the story around the pain. How long will this pain last? What if it never stops? What if I can't walk again? You see, all drama of the mind.
Whenever this happens to you, remember to ask yourself, what's the problem right now?
The more you practice asking this question, the more you realize there are no problems right now. There's only you, the most beautiful being on the face of this Earth, dancing with the unfolding of creation one moment at a time.
Would you call that a problem?
Live with substance!
Gabe Orlowitz
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