Now

How much time do you spend in the now? I know a cat named Francine. Francine is a white cat with brilliant green eyes. She's a bit on the heavy side. I watch Francine luxuriate in the now. I watch her focus all her energy on me as I prepare a goat cheese salad. She becomes one with the cheese. This inevitably gets her a piece of it.

My frontal lobe is a constant distraction from my now much of the time. I am processing shopping lists, thinking of this blog's next entry or wondering where I will eventually live. I plan and fantasize frequently with my brain. I compare reality to the ideals in my head. When I meditate, I come back fully to the now for twenty minutes at a time. Twenty minutes out of 1,440 minutes of the day. 

One of the developed benefits of daily meditation is the ability to separate out the actuality of my now from the stream of consciousness running in my mind. I find this very helpful. When I simply flip the off-switch of my mind's ramblings, I can relax for a moment with the full reality of my moment, the actuality of my now. This brings peace of mind and the ability to assess my direction. It enables me to ask, "Is my mind steering me toward health, joy and peace?" After all, being lost is simply not knowing where you are.