I fell out of my car today. Don’t worry, the car wasn’t moving or anything. It was completely stationary. It’s a shame I wasn’t though.
I was gathering up my bags and stepping out of the car when I somehow lost my footing and ended up in the garden, my belongings strewn among the bark and my dignity in tatters. Fortunately, there was no one in the car park to witness my ridiculous predicament. There may have been some in the nearby office buildings though (no doubt laughing their heads off) but no one came out to get a closer look.
Later, as I recounted the episode to my client and remarked that it was my own fault for not being present, he looked at me and said, ‘You’re a funny fish. You say some strange things.’
His comment was, I guess, a reminder that I’m not quite as mainstream as I used to be. For me, ending up in the garden was the result of me not being present. That is, I was all up in my head, thinking, thinking, thinking, instead of being in the moment. My client’s comment made me laugh but it was an indication that sometimes I think a little differently to other people.
Like many people, I am prone to not being present. In my case, this means I sometimes bump into stationary objects, run late (because I’ve been sidetracked) and discover the occasional bruise but have no clear recollection of how I received it.
Being present is challenging when you are a classic over-thinker. But my little ‘garden incident’ this morning was a sharp reminder from the Universe for me to do the things that help me get back into my body, get out of my mind and be in the moment. So this afternoon I went for a foot massage, I’m now writing this blog (to clear my mind) and later tonight I will sit down to meditate. These are the types of things that bring me back into the now where I’m supposed to be, and where I operate most effectively.
Being present helps me get things done and stops me worrying about things I have no control over such as the past and the possibilities of the future. I can’t do anything about those things but my mind does like to hang out there in that place, constantly assessing, turning things over, and seeking answers to unanswerable questions.
However, by the time I go to bed tonight I will have implemented my ‘be present’ action plan so maybe, just maybe, I won’t find myself sprawled inelegantly in a public place tomorrow. I will however, awake with a rather large bruise on my right hip and a graze on my arm. Who knew that a stationary vehicle could be so dangerous.