I am honored to have received permission from Joseph Bailey to post this excerpt.
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The first of seven techniques for getting into the present moment while parenting.
1) Become More Oriented to the Present Moment
One of the primary keys to effective, joyful parenting is the same as the key to slowing down to the speed of life: Learn to live more of your life in this moment. So much of the time we are reviewing some aspect of our experience that is over and done with – this morning’s quarrels between siblings, last semester’s poor report card, last night’s disrespectful comments. Or we are rehearsing an unknown or feared future – what if my child doesn’t get into college? What will happen if the kids can’t get along on our vacation? What if Sara can’t meet any new friends? All of these concerns (and thousands of others like them), past and future, are just thoughts…
Consider this, imagine your life as a timeline:
You were born _________ right now _________ the moment you die.
Consider everything that has ever happened to you in your life as it exists right now – pleasant experiences, embarrassing moments, passion, sadness, grief, success, failure. At this moment in your life, looking back, what realm is everything in? Is it actual reality or merely thoughts in your mind? If you guessed that it’s in the realm of thought, you are right. If you fainted in a public speaking class, it’s no longer real, it’s only a memory. If you were a high school cheerleader thirty years ago, it’s now only a thought. Anything and everything that has ever happened in your life exists now only in memory.
Now consider the future. Everything that will ever happen to you in the future is, in this moment, only a thought. It hasn’t happened yet. You can’t touch it; you can only anticipate it, think about it. You may become rich and famous or broke and homeless, but whatever may happen, at this moment
it’s all thought.
That leaves you with this moment and this moment alone! This present moment is the only “real” moment that exists in real time – right now. But remember, this moment too is constantly changing and it too is experienced through thought. The moment vanishes and is replaced by the next one and so forth.
This exercise helps to emphasize how precious this moment really is by reminding you that all other moments are only an illusion. This moment is the only real one there is. Appreciate each new moment instead of focusing on moments that are over or yet to be, and you will operate at the speed of life.
Here are the details of this inspiring book:
Slowing Down to the Speed of Life
How to Create a more Peaceful Simpler Life From the Inside Out
©Richard Carlson and Joseph Bailey
Harper Collins Publishers
“Carlson and Bailey help us recognize rushed thought processes and access healthy, relaxed feelings, and, using the popular “psychology of mind” approach, they teach us to gain new-found abilities to stay focused on the task at hand and enhance our creativity and achievement. Illustrated with useful exercises, charts, and diagrams, as well as inspiring personal reflections, Slowing Down to the Speed of Life shows us there is plenty of time to build meaningful relationships, master seemingly hectic schedules, and maintain a healthy calm in the midst of the life’s storm. “
Buy the Book at Amazon
I have just completed a painting, titled
Here & Now, and I adore it. I also (yay!) have a ton of footage of the painting process. So, in the next couple days, I will be posting the painting to
my website and the video to my Youtube Channel
my Youtube Channel
Have a wonderful weekend!
Love & Sincerely, Katie
above image: Spending Time, 30×24″ acrylic painting on cradled panel
Related Images:
[
See image gallery at www.paintingmotherhood.com]
Now consider the future. Everything that will ever happen to you in the future is, in this moment, only a thought. It hasn’t happened yet. You can’t touch it; you can only anticipate it, think about it. You may become rich and famous or broke and homeless, but whatever may happen, at this moment it’s all thought.
“Carlson and Bailey help us recognize rushed thought processes and access healthy, relaxed feelings, and, using the popular “psychology of mind” approach, they teach us to gain new-found abilities to stay focused on the task at hand and enhance our creativity and achievement. Illustrated with useful exercises, charts, and diagrams, as well as inspiring personal reflections, Slowing Down to the Speed of Life shows us there is plenty of time to build meaningful relationships, master seemingly hectic schedules, and maintain a healthy calm in the midst of the life’s storm. “