Focus on the NOW - beautiful, insightful words by TC on the depression forum

[Neil_1]

Hi all,

On the depression site, there is a thread created by Chasing Sunshine, called "New and struggling" and CS has had a number of great responses. 

But there is one there that has really struck me slap bang in the face (but in a good way … and extremely thought provoking).

It was posted by TC and TC, I am not really into plagiarising but I really feel the need to share part of your post with the masses … because of how brilliant it is.  Here is the para that resonated so deeply within me:

“After managing anxiety and depression (successfully and unsuccessfully!) most of my life (am 54) .... one of the most valuable strategies for me, is to focus on NOW, and not focus on any other point in time.  Avoid thinking of this afternoon, tonight, tomorrow, next week, next month, next year .... two years or five years down the track.  Fight with your thoughts. Bully them into submission and tell them what you want them to do.  Focus on NOW and the smallest, easiest thing you can do to help you put one foot in front of the other and move ahead.”

Since reading this it really struck me how powerful those words are.  Focus on NOW.  Fight with your thoughts.

I'm really blown away by this paragraph ... it's got me shaking and nervous and tense, but not because it's anything bad;  on the contrary, it's so positive ... but I'm shaking as I my mind is not letting me do this.  I can do it just for a short while but then the demons come and push the badness back again.

Thank you TC for this paragraph.

Kind regards

Neil

[Beetle]

HI

I agree. we cannot alter the past, we don't know what lies in the future, we can only do stuff NOW.

Lets celebrate the here and NOW.

Thanks Neil And TC for your awesome posts

Love Beetle

[White_Rose]

Hello Neil

I think TC is talking about Mindfulness.  He/she may not identify it as such but sounds like Mindfulness and yes it is a powerful tool to have in your toolbox.  If you like reading about these things try Wherever You Go There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn. 

I hope you enjoy it.  It is a book to read slowly (and mindfully).

WR

[Jo3]

Hi Neil,

Great post by you and especially TC.  My psych tells me this ALL THE TIME., Focus on the now, you can't change what happened yesterday or worry about tomorrow.  Just focus on today, now where you are and what you are doing NOW.

It is so true, we tend to focus on the past and worry about the future (well I know I do) but really there is no point.  It won't get me anywhere.  So I am going to focus on the NOW, right now where I am - oh that's typing this to you!!!

Have a nice day Neil

Jo

[Suzbj]

Hi Neil, Jo, Beetle and White Rose, That is the power of NOW! And when you are in that moment of being in the NOW it is amazing and so freeing. I remember, and forgive me if I have posted this before – I remember paying $460 per fortnight rent and on Austudy which, at the time was around $530 per fortnight. $70 per fortnight was all I had for food, running a car, electricity, phone etc etc etc. I STILL don’t know how it all panned out in detail but I was in a place of such utter desperation and, at the same time hope and belief that ‘all is well with my world’. Utter faith in the universe, God, the higher power. Wow!!.... I just realise, I really needed to read and hear this post and answers right now. Thank you Neil! Anyway... each day, the fear and worry of ending up homeless and how to possibly make $70 stretch where it can’t. Each day, I would meditate by the window looking out on the ocean and be still. In my mind and heart I had utter faith. I would thank the higher power for the day, for having a roof over my head, for having food to eat that day and for being in this wonderful place I live in. I would then have gratitude that the rent was paid for one more fortnight or week or whatever period of time I was in. I would bring everything back to the NOW. There were many little things that happened along the way and bits and pieces of daily stuff. Somehow I saw the one year lease out and was only once one week behind in rent in that 12 month period. I had food on the table, all the bills paid and managed. And in many ways it was one of the best periods of my life. Somehow, something that was impossible became possible. That is the power of the NOW. On that note, a great book to read in this regard is ‘The Power of Now’ by Eckart Tolle. It is not an easy read like Louise Hay but it is a very powerful book that is mind-blowing. Think I will read it again myself. Thank you all Cheers Suz xx 

[Neil_1]

Hi Suz

I know you've been really struggling of late but to just read your last post on this thread it really gave me cause to think:  "Hey, I can see Suz writing this with some positiveness within her".

You laid things out on the table (so to speak) and then worked through them with a mindful positiveness Suz ... and I hope even for a little while that you felt that you were in a better place, better than where you have been for a while now.

I enjoyed reading your post.

Cheers

Neil