What if we told you all the time you have been spending looking forward to all the wonderful vacations, holidays, finish lines, and good times is actually helping strengthen the same muscles that make you wake up in the middle of the night dreading the presentation you have to give tomorrow, or the hard conversation you have to have with your partner? Well, that’s what we’re telling you.
Fear lives in the future that we imagine. Fear is always something that we imagine happening or not happening in the future. The more time we spend "looking forward to" the more we are habituating ourselves to look (and therefore be) somewhere other than right here, right now. If we imagine the future as a door, and if we want to stop all of that negative anticipation, dread, and anxiety about the future, we need to close that door. Or, at least endeavor not to leave it WIDE open
The muscle that helps us imagine the vacation longingly is the same one that "helps" us imagine potential unwanted outcomes.
It’s obvious that anxious anticipation is not good for us. We also want to make the point that imagining the good stuff isn’t great for us either. In addition to keeping that door open and those muscles growing, we are also weakening our ability to enjoy the great meal that is in front of us right NOW. While we are fantasizing about the one that might be tomorrow, we are not enjoying the one we are eating now.
In our weekly meditation group, we often talk about this elusive idea of living in the moment and being present. Our work is intended to help diminish fear, anxiety, and worry. The most dynamic, alive, competent and brilliant version of yourself emerges when we aren’t burdened by anxieties. We think meditation practices and/or any endeavor that focuses on being present is incredibly important in accomplishing this. Click below to find out more.
To living with less anticipation
