Living In The Present
Depression can be the result of an inability to plan a
future.
Trying to be aware of enjoying the moment is a healthy ambition.
When we are young, there are a plethora of goals, rites of passage,
fantasies, and so many more things that we need to consider. We have many
choices and a strong body.
As we age, the various imperatives that once drove us, drop away.
Reaching adulthood, independence, marriage, becoming a parent, a career, hobbies,
interaction with friends; are all tremendous driving forces which keep us
motivated, and happy. We can change course, end this or that, and improve on
another thing, simply because we can.
Every part of our personality is alive and available to us. Humor is an
an essential part of our well-being; we can see the silly side of life, have a
chuckle. We can do this because we are still observing, modifying and
living at many levels; above all, we are physically able to do what pleases
us.
As our milestones are ticked off, we lose particular and essential abilities, people,
relationships – more.
We begin to recognize changes in ourselves; ultimately, we
lose so much of what we thought was possible; we can lose sight of who we
are.
The effort to maintain our persona can be filled with an overriding
question of why we bother. The sense of, there nothing left for me but loss and physical
decline.
These are treacherous waters to find oneself in, as our life force is
depleted, and we must rely on our minds alone to give us a reason to continue
life in this very different body.
Discredit the mirrors! Honor the body we know we have at every level.
The body that once drove us requires our minds to take over to
generate a new way we can live, with acceptance and in peace.
Value every sunrise and every season. Embrace our wisdom. Live each day
enjoying what we can.
These are years we can’t afford to let go fallow to the whims of what was.
It’s all about what we have now, and to spend whatever time we have
in sorrowful retrospection is to darken the present.
Take stock of what we can do and what we want to do, and aim for these
manageable moments, in appreciation of what there is.
Cast away the millstones of fools and negativity, and move into the light of
the present. Our goal is to sustain our body and mind in a manner that
gives us peace and, indeed, joy.
Moderate expectations and discard what is no longer possible. Try not to
grieve for who we were because we need to nurture who we are now. Be grateful
for all we can do; don’t dwell on what we can’t
Be aware of worldly events, and interact as we can, but not to the point whereby
they engulf us.
Life can be good in an older body.
Janice Konstantinidis
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