Back in the spring I asked you to think about WHEN you are living. Today, I want you to think about an equally powerful question: "WHERE are you right now?"

Before we bought our house, my wife had a 45-minute commute (each way) on one of Canada's busiest highways. On more than one occasion, she came home and told me about a dangerous or inconsiderate driver that she had encountered that day.

She would describe the scene in detail and in doing so, she would become completely agitated all over again. At that point I would stop her and ask a simple question:
"Where are you right now?"

Flabbergasted, she would answer, "What do you mean? Of course I'm right here in front of you!"

To which I would answer: "No you aren't. You are back in the car being tailgated by that driver again. He already ruined your drive, why give him the power to ruin your evening as well?"

Don't we all do this from time to time? We carry around baggage and give negativity far more importance than it deserves.

Another example occurred this afternoon. The weather was unseasonably warm and I took advantage of it by taking my son for a walk in the woods near our house. As we walked down a trail that I had never taken before, we came upon a very strange sight. For some reason, there was a wooden bench in the middle of the forest. It was obviously made by hand and had no identifying markings. Without questioning it, We took full advantage of the opportunity to sit and enjoy the moment.

However, as soon as I sat down, my mind began to race ahead to all of the things I have to do in the coming week. Luckily, I managed to catch myself. I asked myself: "Where are you now?"

That simple question brought me back to the moment - back to the bench in the forest with my son. We enjoyed the rest of our afternoon walk because I stayed focused on being where I was.

In the coming week, and every week, remember to stop and ask yourself, "Where am I right now?" This will help keep you anchored in the moment and not dwelling on the past or obsessing about the future. In the now, you will find both your peace and your power.

ENJOY NOW!

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National Library of Canada ISSN 1708-0606

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