Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On...

"According to my watch the time is now,
The past is dead and gone.
Don't try to shake it, just nod your head.
Breathe in, breathe out, move on...
Don't try to explain it, just bow your head.
Breathe in, breathe out, move on."

Jimmy Buffett



Buffett wrote that song about Hurricane Katrina, but every time the shit hits the fan or things are looking down, I try to keep those words in mind. They hold. The past is finished. Hopefully something has been learned. The future is undetermined. There is only so much we can do in preparation. What is important is the now, this tiny moment in time. So, what are you going to do with it?

You know, I actually own a watch like the one mentioned in this song? LOL Yup. Bought it from "Signals" a few years back. In place of the mechanism is a bit of sand and a small stone that has the word "NOW" written on it. I bought it because of my belief in the Tao principals.

Living in the "Now" sounds like an easy thing to do, right? Wrong. It's probably one of the most difficult. We're all too good at the "woulda, coulda, shoulda" game. And it's REALLY hard when things aren't going the way we'd like. So, what can we do?

A game plan for the future, near or distant, is always a good thing. But how
about creating one for this very second of time? If things aren't so great right this instant, is it possible to find some tiny bit that is good? I believe our sanity depends on it.

Walk outside and take a look around... Wow! Look at what we've got! Look at the clouds, moon, sun and stars. Check out the diversity of flora and fauna. The processes of the green world are what allow us to have the air we need to live. How cool is that?

The world around us is an awesome thing, but so is that world inside each of us. Regardless of any similarities, we are all entirely unique. Our minds race and our emotions flow as our hearts beat and we breathe...

Inhale, exhale, inhale...

Sitting in the midst of a garden or perhaps on the edge of the water... Maybe even among a crowd of people.

Exhale, Inhale, exhale...

Infinite molecules moving at a set pace create everything that we see, everything that we are. Energy defines us all.

Turn inward and outward at the same time and stretch out your hands. Let the energy flow.

Inhale, exhale, inhale...

We are part of everything and everything is a part of us, each a vital piece of an amazing machine. The past has shaped our world just as it has shaped us. The future is an uncertainty. The only thing guaranteed is now.

The idea of control is absurd. All we can control is our own minds and actions. Even love flows where it will.

Stretch out your senses. Let go.

Exhale, inhale, exhale..
Tune out the sounds around you and simply be. All that matters is the breath. Release everything else.

You are beautiful for the simple reason that you exist. That is enough.

It is time to merely breathe in, breathe out, embrace the now, then move on.

Namaste.