From “The Book of Awakening: Having the Life You Want by Being Present to the Life You Have”, by Mark Nepo

MARCH 5
Straying

So hard to feel the stone and not the ripple.

The moment we stray from where we are, we create a tension between two places—where we are and where we are thinking of being. It is this tension that blocks us from the sensation of being fully alive, because being split in our attention prevents us from being authentic—even though managing many tasks at once (being skillful in splitting our attention) is considered intelligent.

For each of us, straying from where we are and coming back is a never-ending task, very much like blinking or breathing. When we incorporate this fullness of attention into our daily lives, we seldom notice it. But if we should interrupt our flow of being, we will stumble just as surely as if we were to stop seeing or breathing.

That we stray from the moment is not surprising. The more crucial thing is that we return.

• Center yourself and enter the moment at hand.

• Breathe steadily and feel yourself stray: to somewhere else, to tomorrow, to the future or the past.

• Breathe through your straying, without judgment, and re-enter the moment at hand.