Selene, at three days old, and totally loveable, totally perfect and totally in "The Now"!

The Power of Now!

On January 11th, my Grand Niece Selene was born to my nephew Michael and his wife Ivonne. When I saw Selene for the first time she was three days old and a perfect individual living totally in the Now. Reflected in her face was the complete and whole being that is within us all. It reminded me of how easiy we lose touch with that spirit in ourselves as we become adults.

Every January I either write an essay or give a workshop on the subject of Change. (See January 2007 issue of Soar! titled “The Power of Change.”) In it I encourage the reader or student to reflect on his/her life on the threshold of a new year taking stock of what constructive decisions, attitudes and actions one might take to make the next year a better one than before. This year, I’m changing that routine.

Truthfully, don’t we all know we could make improvements within ourselves and our circumstances, however close to perfection we may be? And, as artists, we probably do more self-analysis and self-criticism than most people. And, that isn’t healthy. Your psyche pays the price, especially after years of habitual abuse. Don’t you agree? As they say, everything in moderation.

Instead, I prefer to write about something of equal interest to me, and hopefully to you. If not you can simply click off and turn off the computer or log on anytime to another website. (However, I urge you not to before scrolling down the page and looking at another picture of Selene.)

At this time I am more motivated to encourage you to be in the present reality, not looking forward to the future, not looking back on the past. For the duration of time that it takes to read this I ask you to exercise restraint – refrain from thinking about the things you wish or should have done, or your New Year’s resolutions, hopes, and aspirations you long for. Avoid looking back or forward. Your memories are only a story or interpretation of a reality that no longer exists, because you are in a different state of consciousness than when they occurred. Your recollection of past occurrences will change with time anyway as your perception changes. Stepping into the past to relive it will only remove you and detach you from where you are at this very moment.

In our busy, challenging lives, filled with a lot of negative influences (just reading a news article or watching the TV can be filled with negativity) we need a safe haven where we can recharge and restore ourselves. What helps me is my daily practice of meditation and reading, writing affirmations as well as saying affirmations aloud. This practice propels me to greater and greater states of serenity and harmony and aligns me with my higher purpose.

I usually write affirmations for a specific subject or condition I want to attract and accept in my life, however, a more general one might contain such statements as: "Right now, I am complete, fulfilled, and grateful for the abundance in the universe and that which manifests in my life. The mere fact that my heart is beating and every other organ in my body is functioning is miraculous. The fact that there are people in my life whom I love and who love me is a huge blessing. I have a totally unique personality and so many things to be thankful for… my artistic ability…." You can fill in the rest.

Each affirmation contains an alignment with a higher power. Each affirmation contains a very specific desire. Each affirmation contains a negation of those blockages that I may be holding onto which prevent me from gaining my real power. And, each affirmation contains an expression of appreciation. I express my feelings of gratitude frequently throughout the day. I also pay attention to the miracles that occur each day. And, my friend Joanne and I tell each other about the miracles we exprerience.

When we concentrate on these positive affirmations and totally accept ourselves as we are it doesn’t mean that we should become complacent and stop growing. On the contrary. It means we let go of self-judgment and strive to be in alignment of what we already are. The power of meditation and positive affirmations lift us up, restore and align ourselves with our higher energy, and move us forward with a peace of mind and self-acceptance. Call it self-love, if you will, call it feeling connected to the Divine Power, God, Goddess, Deity, whatever you want to call it.

When we have faith that we are in the right place at the right time doing exactly what we should be doing every cell in our body responds by flooding it with endorphins and feelings of joy and vitality. The body listens and obeys the mind. Our thought processes become clearer. Pain may subside or disappear altogether.

You see, there is no where to go. It is all here now. The process is one of revealing what is already true and present. If you ever need proof, look into the eyes of a child.

Renée Phillips is an artist career consultant. Learn more.

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