Have you ever heard the phrase “Just be in the moment” or “Be present” or more pointedly,
have you been told to practice “Mindfulness”? If you have and have struggled to master mindfulness, I am with you. Logically, I know that it is a state of being where you are focusing your awareness on the present moment, and at the same time you are calmly acknowledging and accepting your feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations. I have tried very hard off and on for the past several years since learning about this state of being to practice it in my daily life. When I focus with intention and go beyond the thought to the feeling of the definition, I am quite successful but more often than not I fall back into old patterns of losing that focus. Well, last week Spirit literally screamed at me to get back on track. With a bit of help and some firm resolve, I eventually did, and you can too with the strategies I am about to share with you.
Catching Yourself NOT In the Moment – Signs to Watch For
I was on vacation with my husband in our Canadian province of Nova Scotia. I had planned the two weeks away for he and I as a birthday gift to him. We had never been to the Maritimes so I squeezed as many locations and well know tourist “must sees” into our itinerary as I could. One morning as we were driving along Cape Breton’s Cabot Trail which is world renowned for its scenic splendour in the fall, I was busily calculating the distances between our stops for the next few days and mapping out our current jaunt to make sure we didn’t miss any landmarks or photo opportunities. As I was looking at my phone in my lap, I heard my “inside voice” scream in my head “STOP! Rest and just be in the moment!” I looked up at the beautiful scenery rushing past my window and instantly knew why Spirit was trying to get my attention. I was missing the very thing we had come to see! The incredible colours of fall were slipping by as my attention was locked on my phone. This instant realization made me sit up a little straighter.
When Spirit calls, we need to pay attention. I had likely missed earlier signs that were more subtle so Spirit decided to get loud enough that I could not miss or ignore the message. Spirit will always persist getting louder and more obvious depending on the importance of the message until we “get it.” In retrospect, I can recall many signs from Spirit on the trip and even prior to it. For a few weeks prior to the trip and right up until that moment, I had been seeing a lot of repeating numbers, mostly one’s, two’s, and three’s. It seemed that every time a clock struck 1:11 or 11:11, 2:22, or 3:33 I just happened to notice it. Each time I would repeat the brief angel number meanings to myself – new beginnings/ transformation, partnerships, don’t stop believing, and your spirit team is there to support you. I would briefly wonder about what Spirit was pointing these numbers to but did not take the time to really ask and wait for a clear answer.
As we drove around the province, birds and animals came forward with messages. In our
initial days of driving, I remember commenting to myself that there seemed to be an unusual number of times when one or two crows were just calmly walking along the shoulder of the highway as we sped past. All I remember thinking each time I saw them was “see the magic in life.” Coming home late one night to our B&B we had to wait just outside the driveway as the resident baby porcupine slowly waddled across the road in front of us. When I looked up what messages the porcupine might have for me, I found that they are telling us to reflect on our weaknesses and to think about remedies. They also bring messages about living life with joy and simplicity, to slow down so you don’t miss the beauty in the world. Wow! Two strong messages about being in joy but I didn’t connect the dots. I simply told Spirit I was open to receiving joy, but what I didn’t remember was the next step of taking some action. The numbers were asking me to take the time to reflect on their meaning and see where those concepts applied in my life versus just taking them at face value and passively waiting for something else to occur. The animals were telling me open up to the joy and magic in life, to give myself time to be open. Are you receiving signs that you are missing or ignoring? What are they? Are they getting louder? What are they trying to tell you? Pay attention to repeated similar incidents or occurrences. They are not coincidences. Spirit is speaking to you.
Taking Stock – What Time Frame Are You In?
Watching the red, orange, yellow, and green mountain foliage stream by my window as the rental car ascended up the next mountain incline, the “aha moment” hit me like a ton of bricks. I was missing out on the very things we had come to experience. I realized I had not been “in the moment” for most of our trip. A flashback of the last several days flew through my mind and I saw myself physically present in many places but not “really there” because in my mind I was checking that place or activity off the list and planning the next. I had either been reviewing the past and apologizing for anything I thought we could have or could have done or planning the next day. For most of the time, I was only vaguely aware of the present. Does this sound like stretches of time for you? Do you spend time regretting the past or worrying about the future? It is important to take stock of when you have and haven’t been “in the moment.”
The only times I could recall even enjoying the present was when we were with new friends who we were meeting face to face for the first time. Their presence and interaction with me gave me the space to be in the moment that I wasn’t giving myself. The alarm bell from Spirit and these few seconds of insight made me pause and question myself. What was I doing to myself? And what about my husband? This was supposed to be a gift for him. Was I creating a nightmarish trip where all he would remember is how many hours he spent behind the wheel of the rental car? I had to do something to ensure that we would bring back beautiful memories of restful moments, joy, and gratitude in addition to the photos to catalogue those memories. I had answered Spirit’s call but what was my next step?
As soon as I had asked the question, Spirit was providing another lesson. They pointed out the emotion I was feeling when being present and when not as well as how my physical body felt. Looking at the past, I was physically tired and either feeling emotionally vacant or disappointed that some things weren’t accomplished or that they weren’t that impactful for me. Looking forward I felt anxious. I had visions of missing deadlines – ferry schedules, dinner reservations – or not getting to spend enough time in one area in order to “see everything.” My stomach would be in knots, and I was not sleeping well. When I recalled the times I had felt present, I felt relaxed, happy, and the recollection put a smile on my face. Spirit was telling me to listen to my body. Our bodies will tell us when we have landed happily in the present. How does your body speak to you when you are in the present moment and then not?
Making a Heartfelt Decision to be Mindful
Once Spirit had showed me how I had been spending my time and more importantly, how I was feeling about it, I made a decision to refocus on being in the moment. I wanted to capture the joy of embracing the beauty around me. I wanted to experience more moments of peace and calm. After all, I was on vacation and weren’t vacations supposed to be fun and relaxing? I remember not only making the decision in my head but feeling it in my heart. It had genuine conviction attached to it – there was not other way I would allow myself to go forward except being in the moment. In my heart, it was just non-negotiable. Do you have non-negotiables in your life? Is being mindful one of them?
Moving Forward with Forgiveness
As I started to focus on the incredible beauty of the coastline before us, I felt a sense of loss mingled with guilt and disappointment rise in my chest. Sitting in that emotion I started to feel an actual pressure on my chest and an overall bodily discomfort that I just couldn’t put my finger on a label for. Then I realized, although I had put down my mileage calculations for the next day, I was still not in the present. I was looking back. Acknowledging what I was feeling emotionally and physically, I decided to forgive myself for what I perceived as failure. Instead, I changed my perspective to see myself as vulnerable with a lesson to learn. I understood that what I had been doing was on Divine purpose as everything is. This was all a learning opportunity. I realized that I needed to let go of any self judgement about past failures so that I could move forward. We all have our moments when we realize we are facing a learning opportunity. That is the moment when we have the ability to change our perspective and move forward with forgiveness. Do you have past perceived failures you can forgive yourself for?
Just then, we pulled into a lookout point and I climbed out of the car. Approaching the
roadside railing, I took in the incredible riot of colours in the mountain valley sloping into the magnificent ocean with new eyes. Breathing deep I could smell the promise of rain on the wind. Focusing on the beautiful scene before me, I moved my awareness into my heart space and reconnected with love and compassion for myself. Allowing that feeling to grow, I envisioned pink and green energy expanding out from my heart to mingle with the fall colours in the valley and the dep blue of the ocean beyond. Releasing the emotions I had been experiencing moments before in the car, I forgave myself for not allowing myself to truly benefit from the peaceful wonder of this trip by not being present. Silently allowing that to happen, I started to feel connected to the expression of nature around me. Walking back to the car I felt lighter on my feet and knew my Guides and Angels were with me, supporting me. Your spiritual team will be right there with you as mine was, just as the number three had predicted.
Releasing Old Baggage to Move into the Present
Later, reviewing the spiritual messages for us from the numerous dead porcupines and racoons we had been encountering along the highways, I had to smile. One message was literally to address old wounds and release old baggage. Well, that was definitely what I was meant to do! Many of us have repeating or chronic fears, worries, and anxieties about the future that pull us out of the present. If we take a moment to step back and look at those feelings, we can ask ourselves why are we afraid of, or worried about, or anxious about something in the future that may not ever happen? Remember that future events can turn out in one of three ways – things can get better, things can stay the same, or things can get worse. Ask yourself, “Why am I worried or fearful of or anxious about the worst potential outcome which is only one third of the potential outcomes?” Can you let go of something that has the least probability of happening?
The second thing to remember is that we create our reality. Each moment is built on the one before it. So, why build your future on worries or fear or anxiety of something that potentially may not happen? Would you not prefer to build your future on positive thoughts and experiences in the current moment? Part of the animals’ message was also about transformation. Death is a transformation that moves into rebirth. So just like the number one, the animals were giving us another message about new beginnings. When you decide to take action and move into the positive present, practicing forgiveness and/or releasing old fears, worries, and anxieties to change your perspective to a positive one, may be helpful for you to to release anything that is creating a barrier to being in the joy of the present moment. Are you ready to release that old baggage?
Wonderful Rewards in the Moment
Once we begin to reap the rewards of being in the moment, they should likely keep us there. In the following days I felt more on track with being mindful. I am still a work in progress though as not every moment was spent in that way. I had my lapses, but my emotional hints of anxiety or bodily tension were reminders to change course. As a result, I found that spending more time truly in the moment had incredible rewards that I likely would have missed had I been less present. There were so many more moments that filled me with wonder, peace, joy, love, and gratitude. Several of them are very memorable. I believe that the details are easily recalled because I was so present in those moments.
One moment I recall was when as we journeyed further along the Cabot Trail, we chose to take a quick detour to see a waterfall. As we walked through the woods towards it, I inhaled the fresh scent of the forest, I could feel the softness of the forest floor beneath every step, I could hear the pure and powerful sound of the water crashing down the rocky mountainside, and I could see the beauty of the entire scene before me. Standing just down from the base of the falls, watching the endless flow of water cascade over the rocks and then past me in a small stream, I was overcome with emotion. It was the same emotion I feel when my angels are nearby. It is difficult to describe but it is a mixture of pure love, joy, and gratitude. The feeling was not only in response to connecting with this beautiful expression of nature, but it was also in gratitude for being able to travel to that location at the other end of my country and to be there with my husband.
A couple of days later we attended a Celtic music concert. After a bit of navigating to get
there and find parking, we entered the building to find our seats easily. Relaxing as the Master of Ceremonies came onto the stage, I reminded myself to stay in the moment. The entire concert was a joy. I could feel the different energy of the performers and their music literally lifting my vibration. A third memorable moment occurred at one of our last overnight stops at a small motel on the shores of a quiet bay in Cape Breton. Once we checked in, my husband and I sat outside relaxing and taking in the peaceful beauty of the water and mountains before us. As we sat drinking in the stillness, a bald eagle appeared flying across the water and from treetop to treetop just down the shore from us. It was a thrill I am sure I would have missed had we not decided to “just be” for a while. Later, during dinner, nature presented us with one of the most
beautiful sunsets I have ever seen. The water reflected the gentle pinks and purples in the sky. Wanting to see more of it, I left the restaurant to observe it from the other side of the building and was gifted with an entirely different sky of intense reds and oranges.
On arriving home from our trip, I resolved to continue to be present as much as I can. I am mindful of really looking into the eyes of whoever I am speaking with, of really listening to every word they are saying, and feeling their energy. It is wonderful to feel a deeper connection again especially with my family because that brings true joy for me.
So, as you practice mindfulness you are being present in the moments that the Divine has intended for you. By changing perspectives, practicing forgiveness, and releasing old baggage those precious moments will bring you the joy that you deserve. Why not start right now? You are reading these words but is your focus elsewhere? Can you see the pictures the words paint? Can you feel the energy they convey? How does your body feel as you read? Can you release those things that are creating barriers to you being in the moment? Your spiritual team is supporting you so don’t stop believing in yourself. This is the time to start a new beginning in being more present. Welcome to the moment!
Sending you love and light,
Marilyn
Intuitive Counselling and Angel Card Readings
If you would like to receive some spiritual guidance specifically for you, I am offering intuitive counselling, angel card readings, and angel numerology readings online or in person (in Calgary).
Resources:
Authors
Radleigh Valentine – Angel Numbers Masterclass
Websites
Vikki MacKinnon on Facebook
Photo Sources
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