Ann

You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go

Staying in the Present Moment

Often, one of our biggest questions is "What's going to happen?" We may ask this about our relationships, our career, our recovery, and our life. It is easy to tangle us up in worrisome thoughts.

Worrying about what's going to happen blocks us from functioning effectively today. It keeps us from doing our best now. It blocks us from learning and mastering today's lessons. Staying in the now, doing our best, and participating fully today are all we need to do to assure ourselves that what's going to happen tomorrow will be for the best.

Worrying about what's going to happen is a negative contribution to our future. Living in the here and now is ultimately the best thing we can do, not only for today, but also for tomorrow. It helps our relationships, our career, our recovery, and our life.

Things will work out, if we let them. If we must focus on the future other than to plan, all we need to do is affirm that it will be good.

I pray for faith that my future will be good if I live today well, and in peace. I will remember that staying in the present is the best thing I can do for my future. I will focus on what's happening now instead of what's going to happen tomorrow.

From The Language of Letting Go by Melody Beattie ©1990, Hazelden Foundation.

Ann

As most of you know, my son is lost in his addiction and I haven't heard from him in over 3 years. His last relapse took me to a very dark place of fear, the kind of fear any mother can have for a lost child who may die in their disease. That dark place was where I needed to be to make the decision to "get busy living or get busy dying" as was said in the movie Shankshaw Redemption.

I could live my life in sad memories of yesterday or great fear of tomorrow, but that would rob me of all my "todays" and drain the life right out of me.

I chose to get busy living, to say a prayer each morning giving my son to God and then trusting that God would take care of him. I chose to see the beauty in each day and live my life well, as God intended.

How I choose to live my life will not affect how my son lives his, but living my life in fear will not save him and will only take me down with him. If I was going to "live" then I had work to do and I am grateful that this program and the support of everyone here has helped me find that "better place" called "life on life's terms".

Staying in the present brings me many gifts, the best of which is peace in my heart. Today I walk in peace, I live well aware of all the many blessings life has given me. And I am grateful for the chance to find this place of serenity and the gift of clarity.

Hugs

lostparent

Thanks Ann for posting this. it's something I needed to read today. Worrying about the future is a big problem for me so this is something I'm going to work on.