dailydatewithgod

Most of our day is not actually spent in the present moment because our minds keep us thinking.  When we are thinking we are not present with what is because we are in our heads.  This is not a bad thing but it is helpful to be aware of it, especially when it comes to our reactions to what is happening.  Life is not what happens to us, it is what we make it mean.  Our minds have this very efficient way of categorizing experiences  and then cataloging them.   When something happens we can go to that file and look for similar situations and know how to handle it.  We are reacting to something based on past experiences.  If we have any left over or residual feelings from those past experiences those show up in the file as well.  Have you ever found yourself having a disproportionate reaction to something?  You notice you have strong feelings of any kind when dealing with something you have never dealt with before.  Our minds allow us to feel capable to handle whatever comes our way because it is dedicated to our survival.  Yet we are not actually reacting or making meaning from the present situation.  Most of the time we are reacting to the past, to a similar situation, but not the current one.  The power of our life comes from noticing our reactions and meaning and pausing before we run with it.  Most mindful practices start by noticing what comes up when we get still.  It is the first step and a practice I learned from my daily dates with God. She showed me the power of noticing and not judging.  He welcomes all our reactions and meanings and invites us to notice them before using them to determine our action. It is a practice which I do very imperfectly.  Pausing and noticing are tools we can use to be in our lives the way God is in our life.