There is a lot going on right now, and I feel like I am flying all over the place.  Good thing my broom is up to the task! 

Speaking of fifty, (no, not shades of grey) today marks my 50th post!  Thank you for reading, and for your comments and encouragment.  If I could invite you all to my house for champagne, I would!  

And speaking of parties – this Saturday is BlogathonATX – a whole day of learning, sharing, and great food with other bloggers. This event inspired me to follow my dreams last year. Blog Heaven!

Today’s post is excerpted from my book-in-progress, “Sick and Tired…and Sexy. Living a Beautiful Life with Chronic Illness.”  Since I am trying to do so many different things at once today, it’s the perfect topic; being present.

In 1971 Richard Alpert, PhD, a successful Harvard psychologist, and a friend of Timothy Leary, went on a spiritual journey to India, leaving everything he knew behind.  “Remember, Be Here Now” chronicled his learning and transformation into Baba Ram Dass, or “servant of god.”  It went on to become the counterculture “bible” for a generation of hippies, but over the years, it has influenced many other writers and yoga practitioners such as Wayne Dyer, George Harrison, Michael Crichton and Steve Jobs. 

After the book, Ram Dass made his mark in the world by teaching and promoting loving service and conscious care for the dying.  So much of how we currently act and think  arose from his discoveries and teachings.  Some religions suggest happiness is to be found by focusing on what’s happening in the moment.  What Ram Dass realized is that this moment is all there is. We can’t go forward, nor can we go backward!  We can only be here, now.

“While washing the dishes one should only be washing dishes, which means that while washing the dishes one should be completely aware of the fact that one is washing the dishes. At first glance, that might seem a little silly: why put so much stress on a simple thing? But that’s precisely the point. The fact that I am standing here and washing these bowls is a wondrous reality. I’m being completely myself, following my breath, conscious of my presence, and conscious of my thoughts and actions. There’s no way I can be tossed around mindlessly like a bottle slapped here and there on the waves.”  Thich Nhat Hanh

I guess I will get off of my broom and quit zoooming around. Maybe I’ll use it to sweep…the dishes are already done!

XO Donna