When my kids were little, they would often request at bedtime, “Just one more book.” They were quite advanced in their stall tactics.

Lately, I have been watching how prevalent it is to want just one more….smile, a holiday with a loved one, a talk with a friend, a vacation altogether, a game with the team, a chance at being better, etc. 

Just one more is a mental construct bypassing the present moment and estranging into the future.  It is also a learned action imposed by an earlier experience and longing for something that felt different.

Physically this disassociation with the present moment helped us escape. Mentally it allowed our imagination to create a clearer experience. Emotionally, fear was detonated which led to a spiritual death. 

For a young child who innocently wanted more time with mom and dad to adults who cling to the past for fear of the future, we have forgotten how to inhale and exhale the present moment. Our forgetfulness has orchestrated people too busy to notice the subtle changes that invite more presence, as well as generations normalizing unrefined behavior.

Every single person on this planet has a built-in perfection and a divine essence of goodness. Our inherent need to prove, defend and demonstrate loyalty to our histories has bypassed this goodness and built townships of protection surrounding the origin of love that emanates within us. 

Can we surrender just one more longing to be present in the moments we are given? 

Are we willing to choose consciously what is best from this present moment experience?

Choices, decisions, and determinations become fluid and ever-changing. This is how we bring in the miracles and shift perceptions about who we are and the life we live.

Synchronicities, intuition, instinct, and divine guidance ONLY occur in the present moment. Learning to live from these higher-heart tendencies elevates existence and ultimately creates meaning and purpose. Most of our longing and desires are built from a foundation of wanting meaning and purpose.

How much we matter and those around us matter and the experiences we live matter is solely based on an inner knowing that everything matters and everyone matters. We are a very sophisticated species that can adapt to all circumstances. We are able to adjust to an experience and become present.

The mind – its thoughts, beliefs, and ideas – are the cause for keeping the present moment a far-reaching goal not always attainable.

It is rather simple to adjust from the desire for the past and our fear of the future so that we can be in the present moment.

First, notice when you are not present.  This typically rears itself with a signal from the body – tightness in the chest, shoulders touching the ears, butterflies in the stomach, etc. Noticing is a practice that gets better with more practice. 

Often, we internally ask, “How am I feeling?” While this question is valid and a good one to orchestrate a change in thinking or action, it often won’t help in shifting our presence to the current moment.  The mind has a way of sabotaging the process of determining an emotion and thus often bypasses the body’s regulatory system. This would be why it was so easy in the early years to escape a traumatic experience and begin to normalize the actions. 

A more influential question would be, “How is my body registering this moment?” A switch in authority from the mind as the analytic know-it-all to the body as the wise soul-fire is a game changer.  The more disciplined we get in regulating the body as an authority figure, the more often we can consciously discern experiences and choose from a high-heart what is best for all involved. 

When you notice the body is signaling a change must occur to return to peace and harmony, the next action is to breathe. In our fast-paced world, we think breathing entails a quick get-it-done method of using oxygen as fuel. To return the body, mind, and soul to balance requires slow inhalations followed by slow exhalations, and pausing in the liminal space between these two dual-inspired actions. 

Our personal power is activated when we notice and breathe in order to welcome the present moment. Abundance is available in the present moment.  Miracles happen rapidly in the present moment. Life becomes more colorful and wildly fun in the present moment. Time and space – which are our biggest worries – are non-existent. 

Another unintended consequence of entering the present moment, you get to experience the high-heart faculties of imagination, intuition, instinct, and beloved connection from those not in physical form here on Earth. Everything is available to you in the present moment.