The Richness of the Present Moment
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by Nancy Eggert
"Most of the time, we are lost in the past or carried away by the future. When we are mindful, deeply in touch with the present moment, our understanding of what is going on deepens, and we begin to be filled with acceptance, joy, peace, and love." -Thich Nhat Hanh, The Long Road Turns to JoyIt is a gorgeous spring Sunday afternoon-calm, dry and sunny. No deadlines to meet. No projects to complete. The towpath, sandwiched between the Potomac River and the C&O Canal, is flat, straight, and endless. You can't get lost-just lost in thought! Perfect for rambling away the day. Perfect for escaping the office.
But my mind drifts back to the office. We have been working on a planning event-or better yet, a corporate discernment process. I have yet to see the prospect of planning raised in any organization without an accompanying wave of fear, resistance, and anxiety. I know that authentic planning must be deeply in touch with the present moment, but planning somehow confronts us with the awesome and terrifying unknown of the future. Planning is not about predicting the future or controlling it. Neither is it a once-and-for-all decision about where we are going. Maybe getting together for a weekend of planning is like taking a snapshot of who we are, where we are at the present moment. Together we gaze expectantly into the depths to discern our next steps. Next week, next month, next year, the picture will change; something new may be revealed, and we can respond accordingly. Can we be open to the future without trying to predict or control it?
My attention is captured by the kayakers challenging the rapids of Mather Gorge, far below the towpath. Eons of rushing water have scoured the river bed, carving the soft stone below Great Falls into a narrow trench of roiling adventure before stretching out to become the broad Potomac of our nation's capital. A huddle of Sunday walkers draws my attention to a fat, toothy beaver sunning himself across the canal. Perhaps he is looking for a site for a new home-a typical Washington weekend pastime! There is no wind, but the surface of the canal has just enough variation to provide a hypnotic array of fun-house mirrors with shifting reflections of the newly-dressed trees, resplendent in the bright, fresh green of spring. Tiny fish swarm just below the surface; a second wave of wildflowers is already emerging in the forest.
No, a snapshot is not quite the metaphor for a planning weekend. A photo is too static. We are on the moving edge of the present moment-like a weather front, an ever-shifting dynamic of temperature, barometric pressure, humidity, and wind. The past, present and future are alive in this moment. The eons of rushing waters kiss the promise of the minnows' frenzy. The ancient oaks gently touch the carpet of evanescent wild-flowers. This moving edge, this dance of the universe is all we have. There is no pause, no break in time to capture the moment and imprison it. Past, present and future meet here, in the expansive arms of the Lord of Creation. We ride the wave, we dance the dance.
Drink deeply, for there is no other moment. The dance of life-hand in hand with the One who loves us. Thy will be done. We create together, sensitive to our Beloved's movements, responding in love and trust. The dance of the present moment. There are no missteps. Nothing can take us from His/Her arms. Getting it right is of no consequence. There will always be a next step in the dance, a step taken together in hope. Now that's not so scary after all. Who could resist such an invitation-to acceptance, joy, peace, and love?
© 2008 The Shalem Institute.