TrishW's Journal

I "borrowed" the title for this journal entry from today's DailyOM meditation.  Funny (not in a ha-ha way) how the message we most need to hear is presented at the exact moment we ost need to hear it.  So it is w/me this morning. 

I've been obsessing over obtaining my goal of reorganizing our family room by the dealine I'd arbitrarily set for myself.  That date just so happenes to be today:  July 21st.  And as today has approached closer and closer, I found myself obsessing more and more.  Maybe I wouldn't make it after all.  Of course I'll make it. I'm nearly there.  Nope, it doesn't look like I'm quite going to be finished on time.  Etc., etc., etc.

The closer I got to today, the more obsessed I became with meeting my deadline.  It no longer was important that I did a good job; I just had to find a way to be done by this afternoon.  And, in the meantime, I lost sight of living in the moment.  Of enjoying my life in the here-and-now.  Everything I did and though focused on meeting the deadline for thi goal.

Today's DailyOM meditation/reading is all about just that sort of thing.  About how life in all it;s richness is happening here right now, in and around us.  And if we're so focused on achieving our goals and little else, we are missing the actual living of our lives.  The days and moments of our lives simply pass right by us while we obsess about achieving our goals.

But what if we find ways to balance living and experiencing our lives in the here-and-now with also striving for our goals, but in a less obsessive and single-minded way?  Might we possibly then be living our best lives possible?  With less stress?  With less guilt?

I truly felt as if a cold bucket of water had been tossed in my face!  So I moved the due date of this famly room goal out a few days.  If I'm willing to accept the fact that sometimes I will reach a goal a few days ahead of schedule, why can I not accept the fact that I might sometimes reach another goal a few days behind schedule? 

And so it is.  Instead of getting our family room completely reorganized by today, I've pushed my new date out another 10 days or so till the first of August.  Less stress on my body, allowing myself to enjoy my life as it's happening right now, no more obessing about reaching this or that deadline, LIVING my life instead of letting it pass me by.

I'm going to go sort CDs and books for a while now.  Leisurely, not obsessively.  Slowly, not in a panic-induced rush.  Thoughtfully, not filled with guilt. 

You get the picture.  Namaste.