A mantra is a word, phrase or sound meant to center and enhance one’s awareness and concentration. In recent days and through some life-changing happenings, I have found a simple mantra that may help others as much as it is helping me:
“Here We Are”
How better to claim awareness, acceptance and recognition of one’s response-ability, in this place, at this moment, knowing who I am and the choices before me.
Living in the Now does not delete or deny the Then or When, i.e., the truth and turnings of one’s story, what was, is and will be. It takes every moment one lives to get to here. And every moment plus this one will take us where we’re going.
To get there we need to be response-able for and to our self in the context of here and now. Being human, we will never get close to “doing the right thing” all the time. But there are moments — events, changes and challenges — when everyone needs to try to become aware of what needs doing to get through; moments that require the focus and insights “Here we are“ might provide.
Such awareness, as well as accepting the realities of life, is essential to the effectiveness of one’s response-abilities. “Here we are” is like a stoplight at a busy intersection; it can help the reactive self in times of change and challenge to slow down, look around and become proactive.
An effective mantra is like a prayer and even more than that. It is a turning inward to claim time, clarity and often the courage to take the necessary next steps to get through and move on. Life and change may go hand in hand but it is only in each moment that we have the power to make a difference.
“Here we are” actually found me when I heard myself speak the words, then took the time to think them through. Lesson learned: be present to the moment and listen to your self.