living in the present moment

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“I am confronted by insurmountable opportunity.” Pogo Possum TEST SLIDE for sharply focusing projector and adjusting the lighting of the room for optimal viewing. A WORLD OF POSSIBILITIES

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Page 1: Living in the Present Moment

“I am confronted byinsurmountable opportunity.”

Pogo Possum

TEST SLIDEfor sharply focusing projector

and adjusting the lighting of the roomfor optimal viewing.

A WORLD OF POSSIBILITIES

Page 3: Living in the Present Moment

A World ofPossibilities

Page 4: Living in the Present Moment

Almostanything

is possible—if you believe it.

Page 5: Living in the Present Moment
Page 6: Living in the Present Moment

A WORLD OF POSSIBILITIES

Skills for Creating Happinessand Blessing Others

Page 7: Living in the Present Moment

A World of Possibilities

1. Your Vision Map2. Making the Growth Choice3. The Way of Peace4. Heart Intelligence5. The Freedom of Self-Discipline

Page 8: Living in the Present Moment

A World of Possibilities

6. Embracing This Present Moment 7. Accepting and Loving Your Body 8. Healthy Relationships 9. Unleashing Your Creativity10. Gifts of Gratitude and Blessing

Page 9: Living in the Present Moment

Group Activity

In your opinion, who does a better job of embracing the present moment—a typical

2-year-old child or theaverage adult? And why?

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTION:

Page 10: Living in the Present Moment

Module # 6 of 10

Embracing the Present Moment

Page 11: Living in the Present Moment

“Whatever the presentmoment contains, acceptit as if you had chosen it.

Always work with it, not against it.Make it your friend and ally, not

your enemy. This will miraculously transform your whole life.”

 Eckhart Tolle

Page 12: Living in the Present Moment

The Target of Lifeis a very helpful way to understand our individual and collective well-being.

Page 13: Living in the Present Moment

When you’re centered in the heart of the Target of Life, you’re at your best and life seems brighter. You see clearly and therefore make optimal decisions.You feel peaceful, loving, energetic, and happy. You’re in a good position to handle just about anything. However, when things happen that go against our desires and expectations, it’s easy to get pulled off center.

Page 14: Living in the Present Moment

We experience more fear and negativity. We say and do things we regret.The immune system weakens and our productivity declines.We lose touch with what’s really important to us. Unhealthy stress increases and our sensitivity toward others decreases. And the further away from the center we move, the worse it gets!

Page 15: Living in the Present Moment

That’s why it’s so important to catch early signs of stress, and to use all of our creativity to stay as centered as possible.

When we are centered in the heart of the Target of Life, difficulties still crop up, but we can handle them much more smoothly and effectively.

The more centered we are, the greater our well-being, the wiser our choices, and the more effective we are in everything we do.

Page 16: Living in the Present Moment

Group Activity

What does being keenly present in the moment have to do with

an electrifying performanceby a star basketball player

or watching a beautiful sunset?

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTION:

Page 17: Living in the Present Moment

Embracing what is and living with complete attention in the present moment

opens up all kinds of possibilities.It’s no wonder that great achievers,

philosophers, and spiritual teachers from all traditions have sung the praises of living in the joy of the timeless now.

Page 18: Living in the Present Moment

For example, Emily Dickinson noted, “Forever is composed of nows.”

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus encouraged his followers to give up

needless worry about the future and, with faith, to live in all their natural

glory as do “the birds in the airand the lilies of the field.”

Page 19: Living in the Present Moment

He said to“take no thought for tomorrow”

and to “put your hands to the plow without looking back,”

giving full attention,one day at a time,

to the challenges andopportunities that arise.

Page 20: Living in the Present Moment

Similarly, Buddha asserted,“The secret of health for both

mind and body is not to mourn for the past, not to worry about the

future, not to anticipate troubles,but to live the present moment

wisely and earnestly.”

Page 21: Living in the Present Moment

Of course,the art of living in present time does

not preclude skillfully visiting the past and future. Remembering

important lessons from the past is vital; fond memories warm our hearts; and having an eye to the

future is part of living wisely and giving birth to our dreams.

Page 22: Living in the Present Moment

Group Activity

How might being keenly awarein the present moment

reduce work-related accidentsor enhance creativity?

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTION:

Page 23: Living in the Present Moment

Most of us have a tendency to stray into the past or the future. Often

our attention is only partially on the person we are communicating with

or on the task at hand.In failing to be fully present,

we miss much of life’s richnessand limit our effectiveness,

our happiness, and ourability to give to others.

Page 24: Living in the Present Moment

If your spirit needlessly wanders into the future or gets stuck in a past event,call it back to present time!

If you’re like most of us, you may need to do this again

and again each day.

Page 25: Living in the Present Moment

At the root of our frustration is this:

The way things are is different from what we want or expect, and we don’t accept that fact.

Page 26: Living in the Present Moment

Accepting what isdoes not mean that things must

stay the same. In fact,as you learn to accept the here

and now, you keep within yourself all the energy

that you used to waste indisappointment and frustration.

This means you’re in a much better position to change

what you can.

Page 27: Living in the Present Moment

Let’s assume there’s a good reason for all that happens to you,that each event is designed to feed

your growth and happiness, that everything is orchestrated

for your highest good,that it’s all perfect, and that it’s

the same for everyone else.

Page 28: Living in the Present Moment

You might attribute this to the wondrous order of the universe or to the divine plan of a loving God.Either way, what if you decide to

live your life from this point forward with the complete

conviction that everything that happens to you—without exception—is absolutely perfect just as it is?

Page 29: Living in the Present Moment

MORE POISE, MORE FREEDOMRemember, accepting what isdoesn’t necessarily mean youlike what’s happening. It just

means you’ve decided tostop arguing with reality.

Because of that, you are calmer, more alert, more powerful. You

have greater energy and presence to spend enjoying life or taking a

stand for what you believe in.

Page 30: Living in the Present Moment

There are two aspects to embracing the present moment:

1)Being fully aware and attentive to the here and now; and

2)Completely accepting the moment-to-moment reality of what is.

Page 31: Living in the Present Moment

When you are fully alive to the wonder and opportunity ofeach moment,anxiety dissipates, fresh possibilities arise, and a peaceful, fundamental happiness emerges.

Page 32: Living in the Present Moment

As a general rule, the degree of fear we experience is an exact measurement of how far we have strayed from the present moment into regrets about the past or worries about the future.

Page 33: Living in the Present Moment

When you do not accept what is in the moment, you are fighting reality—the equivalent of banging your head against a brick wall.

Page 34: Living in the Present Moment

Learning to accept what is, instant by instant, will save you untold frustration, anger, and disappointment.

Page 35: Living in the Present Moment

Accepting the moment-to-moment flow of what is gives you the freedom to focus all your energyon creatively making any positive changes that are needed, whether they are concrete changes in the world around you or personal attitudinal adjustments.

Page 36: Living in the Present Moment

Group Activity

What role, if any, do you think

faithplays in being able to live fully

in the present moment?

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTION:

Page 37: Living in the Present Moment

Think about what you have been learning, and then pick out one small goal

you want to accomplish in the next few days. Choose a new possibility that’s

important to you. Write your action plan now, briefly stating exactly what you

will do and by when.

A New Possibility

Page 38: Living in the Present Moment

“By takinggood care of the present moment,

we take good careof the future.”

Thich Nhat Hanh

Page 39: Living in the Present Moment

I refuse to waste my energy fighting reality; I completely

accept what is. Thus, I can use all my attention and energy to

rejoice in this moment or to create needed improvements.

POSITIVE SELF-TALK

Page 40: Living in the Present Moment

Remember, the more centered you are on the Target of Life, the more accepting and loving you will be, and the easier it will be

for you to embrace the wonder and opportunity of the present moment.

Page 41: Living in the Present Moment

Together, let’s envisionand build a world whereall people enjoy optimal

well-being. Let’s strive to awakenfresh thinking, new enthusiasm, and abundant love. Let’s create a world

of undreamed-of possibilities. It can be done!

Page 42: Living in the Present Moment

Almostanything

is possible—if you believe it.

Page 43: Living in the Present Moment

A World ofPossibilities

Page 44: Living in the Present Moment

Thank You!