As I sat in my living room the other day I started to feel the weight of the world.  It was pushing me down, down, down.  My day had started off bad and was rapidly spiraling deeper and deeper into a place I really didn’t want to go.

I had several “to do” lists and all of them were being neglected.  My house was a disaster, the laundry was piled up, who knew what we were going to have for dinner.  My business was suffering.  I had so many irons in the fire and they all needed tended to or I would not meet my goals and commitments and you know what that can do to customer satisfaction.  I couldn’t remember the last time I had exercised; my eating habits had been atrocious; my body ached everywhere.  My sweet husband had made arrangements so we could go on a date and all I could think was that was just one more thing to do.  I truly felt I was failing in every aspect of my life.

As I sat there feeling completely overwhelmed, I felt a tear trickle down my cheek.  It was then that I realized I HAD to do something.  I could NOT continue living like this.

When I first moved into my house, several years ago, I had a sign made out of clear vinyl and I put it on my wall in my kitchen.  Because it is clear, it is not easily seen.  Most people probably don’t even know it is there.  When the light hits it just right it glows, revealing the message:

Harvest from the past

Plant for the future

Live in the moment

Those words ring truer today than they did several years ago.

Let’s start with Harvest from the past.

How often do you beat yourself up about all of the things you didn’t get done or you wish you had done differently?  The past is the past.  Unless you are able to find a functioning time machine, there is nothing you can do to change it.  So, embrace it!  That’s right!  Don’t cry over spilt milk.  It is already out of the glass and on the floor.  What can you “harvest” from the experience?  Don’t try to carry a glass of milk, three plates and a toddler at the same time?

Compare that to the rest of your life.  So you missed a party.  You didn’t get all of the laundry put away.  You didn’t get the car serviced.  What can you learn from all of the missed opportunities or forgotten tasks?  Are you putting too much on your “to do” list?”  Are you committing to too many people?  Are you expecting more out of yourself than is humanly possible to deliver?  Or were you lazy and guilty of misusing your time?  What can you “harvest” and put in your “storage bank” to avoid the same trouble in the future?

Speaking of the future, we must Plant for the future.

What does that mean?  Just like a farmer plants seeds in the ground in anticipation of an abundant harvest, we must do the same.  We have harvested some juicy nuggets from the past.  We know what has caused us to fail or succeed.  Now we take that information and plant “seeds” that will help us succeed.  Did you learn that there was too much to for any one person to reasonably accomplish on your “to do” list?  Then take that valuable information and trim down your list to a manageable size and then plant it for tomorrow.  Did you find out you waste a lot of time and therefore continue to fall short of your commitments?  Use that information you have harvested and plant seeds to help you be more productive and avoid distractions.  Plant the behaviors and ideas you need to ensure a bountiful harvest of successes.

We talked about the past, we talked about the future, but what about today.

We must Live in the moment.

This is probably the most challenging.  You can’t live in the past; you can’t live in the future; you can only live in the moment.  It is in the moment that you are constantly making decisions based on the past that determine the future.

Stop.  Take a breath.  Realize what matters most.  And go with the flow.  Be present – whatever you are doing.  I’ll say it again, BE PRESENT.  Spending your time worrying about what you have to do or what you didn’t do is NOT how to spend your time.  It just makes things more cumbersome.

You planted the seeds (made your list, planned your day, etc.) so nurture them and make them grow.  Follow your list.  Spend time with your loved ones.  Take time for yourself.  But whatever you are doing, do IT and forget the rest.  Don’t go on a date with your sweetheart and spend the whole time thinking about all the things you “should” be doing.  NO, you are doing what you “should” be doing.  If you are working, give your task 100% of your attention.  Don’t let your mind feel guilty because you are not with your family, enjoy your job and find pleasure in your work – give it your all for the time you have allotted.

When you choose to Live in the Moment, to BE PRESENT, you will find your days more fulfilling and more productive.  You will release yourself from the bondage of the “shoulds”.  You will find a life renewed and a peace deep in your soul.

So let’s go back to my story.  As I sat there feeling sorry for myself, feeling overwhelmed and helpless, I remembered the words on my wall:

Harvest from the past

Plant for the future

Live in the moment

My entire being shifted.  I let go of all of things that I had not gotten accomplished that day.  I quickly, mentally whittled down my “to do” list to the few things that HAD to be done and then I embraced what I was doing in that moment.

I took 10 or 15 minutes and devoted every ounce of my energy and attention to my children.  We played and snuggled and they brought such joy to my being.  Then I spent time on my essential “to do” tasks.  I focused completely on the task at hand.  I didn’t worry about the things that were not getting done.  I didn’t feel guilty because I was neglecting my children.  I didn’t even think about what I had to do next.  I just took care of that one thing, then the next one thing and so on.

And do you know what happened?  I felt at peace.  It was so wonderful.  I no longer felt overwhelmed.  I had learned a new skill!  It was empowering.  I know I am going to find myself in the same sinking ship again, feeling completely overwhelmed ~ as this is a new skill I am learning to implement ~ but now I know what to do!

Armed with this knowledge, you too can break free from the bondage of being constantly overwhelmed and find feelings of deep and lasting peace.