2 Keys (I learned in the Keys) to Being More Present: Belief and Trust

Ahhhhh…..that refreshing feeling of being on vacation! We just returned from our Florida Keys vacation and I’m already daydreaming about the next trip we can take! It’s hard to pick the things I enjoy the most about being on vacation. Is it kickin’ up my feet and soaking up the rays? Maybe it’s the sippin’ Mai Tais all throughout low and high tide. I love how vacation makes us all a little friendlier; we are all so willing to ask and share where we are from, and chit chat with strangers about our lives. I love how I can go to bed early or sleep in late and not have any guilt or FOMO.

Vacation gives me the time to read books! The last book I started (no joke) was WELL OVER a year ago! I finally finished it last week on our mini paradise vacation. When I think about it more, it’s quite ironic the book that took me so long to get though was Eat, Pray, Love. A book about reconnecting and rediscovering joy in life by eating good food, casting out unnecessary distractions, and investing our precious time in those we love most. (I guess I need to focus more on “casting out unnecessary distractions,” huh?)

But as Jay and I were zipping around on the blue-green ocean, my attention was fully focused on the glimmering, subtle ripples of the Everglade waters below our deck. My multi-tasking mind can rarely quiet its pulsating to-do list; but there was something about the sun reflecting across the calm waves so evenly, yet so very bright. It was as if tiny fireworks were setting off all over the water’s surface; each pop reminding me to stay present, enjoy, to just LIVE in THIS very moment.

Maybe you’ll feel the worry, the concern, the anxiety or excitement, because those are all anticipatory emotions. But what about true present moment emotions? Feelings of peace, joy, gratitude, and enlightenment. These are all present moment emotions we yearn for more of in our lives. What’s annoyingly ironic, is most of us spend a ton of time and energy pursuing those states of mind, yet they always surrounds us. We think we need to crack the code to Escape the Room, yet the keys are buried in the lockbox of our own minds. Those keys are easy to name, but are always challenging to grasp:

1. BELIEF—belief (not hope) that our dreams are within reach. Belief that we are both capable and deserving of our dreams.

2. TRUST--trust in the process, no matter how slow or fast, no matter how straight-lined or zigzagged our paths are, just trust that good things are coming our way.

About 3 years ago, I bought myself a bracelet from a small boutique shop in downtown Flint Michigan. It’s a simple, inexpensive metal bracelet that I wear every day. It’s worn down, tarnished and slightly crooked at one of the hinges. It’s nothing special to look at but it’s served me well through some trying times. I fiddle with in during uncomfortable conversations, I stare at it when I hang my head in frustration. Stretched across my wrist are the letters:

B E L I E V E

At the time I bought the bracelet, I didn’t know what I believed in, I just wanted to believe that good things were on the horizon. What I didn’t understand then, but I do now, is belief is something you must choose for yourself. It’s not an epiphany, it certainly doesn’t come to you miraculously. Others can influence you, but ultimately, you are the only person who can decide whether you believe in something.

Same thing goes for Trust! You must choose to trust the process. Trust that you are already on the path that was meant for you. Trust that you are already moving in the direction of your dreams. But with that, patience is required---and that my friends, Now THAT’s the next bracelet I’m gonna need to find! STAT!

Until then, I still have the ocean fireworks fresh in my mind to remind me to stay present, enjoy, and live in THIS moment.

xoxo