Comments on: When you realize you’re already “there”

By: Nostalgia

Nostalgia — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 16:48:19 +0000

[...] the beach, on the boat, at the luau, on that nauseating Road to Hanna. I was there for all of [...]

By: The things we do to keep the flame burning.

The things we do to keep the flame burning. — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 17:39:29 +0000

[...] Maybe I’m waiting to sing and dance around my kitchen until all of the Big, Important Things are just right. But of course that never happens — there is always something between here and there. [...]

By: I have free will. At least today.

I have free will. At least today. — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:24:57 +0000

[...] And so I have a very simple sense that I might as well appreciate and be grateful for it all. Because I guess maybe I’m already there? [...]

By: Then what?

Then what? — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:14:29 +0000

[...] get something you want, you achieve a major goal, you’re finally “there”. And then what? This is a theme I’m working with lately. Kind of a [...]

By: Lori Enos

Lori Enos — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 16:06:16 +0000

Interesting, I was on the same wave length this week over at My Everyday Bliss.

By: briana

briana — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:24:37 +0000

@Julie ~ I love the evolutionary angle. I would say that our brains are totally hard-wired to avoid the present moment, what with our ancestors worrying about surviving and all. Now we have all this abundance and our challenge is appreciating it! So happy we think the same way.

@Dawn ~ Ugh, forced gratitude is the worst right? Just causes all this resistance and then how crappy do you feel when you can’t get on board with counting your blessings, i.e. the one thing Everyone says you MUST do? The weird thing here for me is not letting myself be grateful when I actually want to be because things aren’t perfect enough yet ~ and I think you’re right about presence being the key.

@Brandi ~ Yup, I can look back at so many times when I was waiting for the next phase of life, and I just really don’t want to miss this one. And I’m pretty sure I’ll look back and think, geez, why didn’t I appreciate all of that more, but hopefully we’re getting better at it along the way.

By: brandi

brandi — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 13:50:47 +0000

girl, I totally get this mindset as I do it too!!

at one time, broke and in college, I dreamed of the life I have now. And I can really, really NOT appreciate that life when I get stuck in the somedays. You are so right to appreciate the now.

By: Dawn

Dawn — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 20:17:02 +0000

Ah, gratitude. I tried for months to keep a gratitude journal, and every night as I climbed into bed, I would glance over at the journal on my bedside table feeling all guilty that I wasn’t feeling grateful enough to record the things I’m grateful for.

But as you suggest, being grateful is basically about being present and not wishing that things were other than they were. Heck, it may even just be being present. Being present in and of itself may be what it is to be grateful (otherwise, I beat myself about what it means to show gratitude. Should I smile? Journal? Live my life differently).

Thanks for the lovely post.

By: Julie

Julie — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 23:56:56 +0000

Briana – Thanks for another great post! Freaks me out just a *tiny* bit how similarly we think.

Sometimes I wonder if this kind of thinking is an evolutionary thing, making sure that we have some reason for survival, to keep living and striving. The thought of *how great* things could be in the future (even if they’re plenty good now) seems practically impossible to shake, which makes me wonder if my ancestors made the fatal mistake of being content and now I’m hard-wired to avoid it.

Or maybe I just need to spend a little more time enjoying the present moment.

By: briana

briana — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 21:45:14 +0000

Whoa, I am totally grinning that all of you are here!

@Doniree ~ We HAVE to share secrets because we are so friends now. Your post today was perfect for me – go read her post peeps!

@Jurgen (Anastacia?) ~ Oh honey. Yuck. You’re right, 3 years of wallowing is enough and I so hope you find the joy (yes, joy!) either where you are or where you need to be. Happy you’re here and to meet you.

@Sarah ~ You are so Rocky. Rocky the Rockstar, and truly one of my favorite people online. And I’m pretty positive you’re wonderful offline, too

@Karen ~ It is such a fine line, right? Being happy right here right now while also making things even better… Sigh. We WILL figure it out.