OKness

To really be in the present, we should be OK with the way things are. Not with the way things are going, but with how they are right now. The moment we think about changing something or making some improvement, we’re living in the future. This is a fallacy of individuals focused more on the future, and clearly myself, since this came to me in meditation today.

For me today, this meant being OK with the clothes on the floor. OK with the mistake I made a decade ago and just remembered. And OK with the itch on my cheek that I resisted scratching to continue the meditation. This also acted as an immediate implementation of the concept. Applying this state of OKness to the going about of our daily lives seems like it should help us to be more in the present. At least it’s what I need for now. But maybe it’s what you need, too.

Yes, some times call for action. But just as such, some times call for inaction. I’m taking this as one of those times. And now, I already feel ready for action, so I might just go pick up those clothes. It’s like just taking this moment here to reflect and be a bit more OK with the way things are, has fulfilled the need for rest. And now, I can move forward to take action, less based on a desire to change the present state, and more in enjoyment of the process to get to that clean room state for which I long.

Although it pains us to desire that state now and thus be in lack, it still holds its merits as a good state and concept. So, we can enjoy that state soon, but we can also enjoy the present moment, as well as the entire path to get there.

art by Steve Kuzma