Think Small

I opened my journal today to the entry from Wayne Dyer's book about verse 63 of the Tao:  "Living without Difficulties." 

I thought, who wouldn't want to live without difficulties?  So I reread my entry and was reminded of how to go about doing that. 

The key is avoiding the inclination to magnify tiny events or worry about a future that may never arrive. 

How many of us do that?  I know I do.  All the time.  I try to decide what to do today based on how I might feel tomorrow, and all the ripples that may come from whatever it is I'm contemplating doing today. 

For example:  "A latte and bagel bites from Einstein's Bagels sounds pretty good.  Ooh!  Yeah, that does sound good!  I think I'll walk down later today and get some.  But wait, that would mean I'd have to spend money.  Do I really want to spend the money on that today?  Money's tight right now.  If I get the latte from Einstein's, then I won't have that money to get a drink from Starbucks on Tuesday, and I'll be out and driving right by Starbucks on Tuesday, so I might want to do that." 

Obviously that's a pretty unimportant decision - whether or not to spend $4 or whatever on a latte.  But those are the thoughts that go through my head, even on small choices.  Imagine the conflict in my brain on actual big decisions.

Like when I was trying to decide if I should break up with my boyfriend or not. 

"He's a great guy... I might not find someone as good as he is. 
But I feel a little held back... I'd like to be free. 
I'm getting older now... do I really want to grow old alone?  Shouldn't I just stick with him?  He's here after all.... and a good guy.
But I wonder if someone wouldn't be a better match for me.   
And I miss living alone.  I thought I was ready to give that up, but I'm not sure....
Maybe we could live apart, but still date.... Then what if he meets someone else? 
Or what if I meet someone else?  I don't want to hurt him! 
Maybe I should just cut him loose altogether so that if I meet someone else, I won't hurt him and have to tell him then." 

All stressing about future events that may or may not come.

Instead of all that worrying, weighing of options, back-and-forth argments in your head, why not just focus on the present moment?  See it as simple and small.  It is simple and small.  It's just now.  You can get through anything in the next second.  Right now what do you want to do?  Then do that!  In the next "now" do what you want to do then, too. 

The future is not guaranteed to anybody.  That's the thing.  None of us have any idea how we'll feel or what we'll want on some future day.  We can guess, postulate, and figure -- based on our past actions, consequences, and current state of mind.  But it's all theoretical. 

We can plan and plan and plan, make charts, lists, meditate, and think for hours on end.  We can decide upon the absolute best course of action.  Then when we're actually in the moment, we may surprise ourselves to find that that's not what we really want after all.  Or it simply may not happen.

Let go of the over-planning of your future!  Release the tight grip you have on it.  It'll come, you'll make decisions in the moment, and it'll pass.  Plain and simple. 

"You have no problems, though you think you have," (from A Course in Miracles). 

"Though you think you have."  Think is the key word.  It's all in our heads! 

Wayne Dyer proposes to think small!

Don't think big! 

Don't "focus on the big picture." 

Do the opposite!  Thinking small and being in the now is where the real happiness and peace are! 

When we "think big" and "focus on the big picture," that big picture can appear very daunting. 

I'd like to be a highly successful author.  I'd like to bring in way more than enough money than I need, from my book sales, so I'm free to do and have whatever I want, whenever I want.  Including donating large sums to animal rescue groups. 

That's my big picture.  Is it scary and daunting?  Hell yeah!  It's way more than I can do right now. 

But what I can do right now is write this blog.  I can work on my current book.  I can publicize my other books that are already published.  Those are all small things that I can do right now, today.  Those are not daunting.  I don't stress over having to write this blog every day.  I don't think, "Oh my gosh, I have to write over 300 blog entries!  That's SO MANY!  How will I ever do that?"  I just write the entry for today.  That's it.

The thing is, the big picture isn't important.  We all like to think it is, but it's not.  That's our ego talking.  Our ego wants to have control over everything.  It's very self-involved, the ego.  It thinks very highly of itself.  But the only thing that really matters is being love.  And love is right here, right now, in this very moment.  Wherever you are, that's love.  You are love, those around you are love, the situation itself is a representation of love. 

Focus on the love.  Right here.  Right now. 

The "small" loves of today will add up to "big" loves.


*Check out the quotes below.  They're some of my favorites!  :) 


Quotes of the Day:


"Let us be of good cheer, remembering that the misfortunes hardest to bear are those which will never happen."  (James Russell Lowell)


"Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its joy."  (Leo Buscaglia)          


"People gather bundles of sticks to build bridges they never cross."  (Author Unknown)


"I keep the telephone of my mind open to peace, harmony, health, love and abundance. Then, whenever doubt, anxiety or fear try to call me, they keep getting a busy signal - and soon they'll forget my number."  (Edith Armstrong)