Resilience in Bloom

Do you find yourself longing for the future – or maybe dwelling on the past? The truth is, when you’re not living in the present moment, you’re not really living at all.

“This moment is your life.”

– Omar Khayyam

The beauty of life lies in the fact that there’s no instruction manual or step-by-step guide on how to live it. I refer to that as the “beauty of life” because it allows us to have full control over how we choose to embark on our journeys.

With that being said, in our lifetimes, each of us is forced to overcome battles and obstacles that set us back on our plans and dreams. How one chooses to move past these set backs can determine the outcome of their life.

Imagine waking up already worried about the test next week, tomorrow’s appointment, or the job interview you’re stressed about. While these things can naturally cause anxiety, they shouldn’t define our entire day. Maybe while you were caught up in that stress, you didn’t notice that you got out of bed, made it to work, or that the sun was shining. To some, reflecting on these small things might seem insignificant, even silly, but for others, it can completely shift their perspective on life.

Take a singular moment to stop and feel your breath. To watch the sunset as it starts to descend. To go on a walk and stop to admire the tulips. The beauty of life is there, yet we get so caught up in future plans or past moments that we forget to live in the present.

When you start living in the present, life reveals its true beauty.

Stress is a response to an event or thought that your mind perceives as a threat – this can be ongoing or fleeting. This causes our nervous system to send our bodies into a state of fight-or-flight, leading to persistent feelings of anxiety and fear. Learning to trick our brains out of this state takes time and patience. One way to address this is to be grounded in the present moment by using the knowledge of our senses:

What do you see around you? Are there any scents you can identify? What do you feel – physically, emotionally?

By engaging with the present moment, you draw your awareness back into your body and to your life as it is occurring right now.

The human body is incredibly intricate, yet we can ease its stress responses by grounding ourselves in the present moment. It’s beautiful to realize that while our bodies are complex, life itself is vast, and we only begin to appreciate that vastness when we learn to navigate the intricacies within.

“In today’s rush, we all think too much, seek too much, want too much, and forget about the joy of just being.”

– Eckhart Tolle

I guarantee that once you realize the strength you have over you own body, the more present you will feel in your life.

Remember to be gentle with yourself. With love always,

Abigail Koot (Resilience In Bloom)