So, it's "back to school" time. I was a little shocked on Monday evening when I felt a small tingle of the "Back to ... Blues" about the return to work. Could it have been "muscle memory" in my brain from all of those Labor Day evenings growing up? Or, [more likely] was it the knowledge I had 100+ emails to review after my "stay-cation"?
I'm impressed that I remained relatively unplugged during my "stay-cation" -- managed to electronically weed through business-related emails on my BlackBerry to keep my focus on unwinding. To assist with this intention, I began reading Eckhart Tolle's A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose. I was fascinated by his comments on the ego and our struggle with being truly conscious and present.
Even the concept of the "Back to ... Blues" is in conflict with being present, right? It's an expression of dread in the current moment (possibly the day before work/school/etc.) about a future moment that we presume will be negative. So, perhaps we miss out on something fantastic in the current moment because we're so concerned about the future potential of something bad. It may sound trivial when you're reading it [I had a few "well, duh!" moments with myself while reading the book]; but it's good to even recognize when this has happened (or is happening) to you. That level of awareness is the big "A-HA!" that can help increase your level of presence.
Being on "stay-cation" provided a lot of space for me to consider these concepts without the form pressures of meetings or client commitments. Staying conscious and present in the Now during life's normal adventures will be the challenge. I'll continue to reflect on this -- and am intrigued to hear your thoughts. How do you stay present in the Now?
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