Right Now, Is My Life
Right Now, Is My Life
"When it comes right down to it, the challenge of mindfulness is to realize that "this is it." Right now, is my life." - by Jon Kabat-Zinn
Lately, I have been re-reading Jon Kabat-Zinn's (2013) Full Catastrophe Living. In chapter nine, Kabat-Zinn emphasises the notion that mindfulness goes beyond the time we spend meditating on the cushion. Reflect, at the end of the day, what use is it if the time we spend meditating on the cushion does not transfer into our daily lives?
This is summed up in the statement that Kabat-Zinn (2013) makes that,
"When it comes right down to it, the challenge of mindfulness is to realize that 'this is it.' Right now, is my life." (p. 138)
This, for me, encapsulates the essence of mindfulness both as a practice and a quality of awareness—a practice rooted in awareness of the present moment. This is seen in Jon Kabat-Zinn's definition of mindfulness as,
“Paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally.” (Kabat-Zinn, 1994, p. 4)
So, at its core, mindfulness beckons the individual to engage fully with the present moment, recognising it as the totality of their existence. This concept can be deceiving, particularly in a world where we are constantly stimulated into finding the next thing, planning our future, and working out our lives before it has even happened, constantly propelling us into the future. Because of this, the notion of 'this is it' might seem foreign. Yet, it serves as a profound reminder to anchor ourselves in the present because life happens right now, not in some distant future or in our past.
It does not lie in some distant goal or achievement, but in acknowledging and appreciating the immediate reality unfolding before us. It urges us to shed the distractions of what was or what might be and embrace the richness of the present.
So, as advocated in the quote, mindfulness is a conscious effort to break free from this cycle. It involves cultivating an awareness of our thoughts, feelings, and surroundings without judgment coming in contact with them as they arise. “This is it,” this is mindfulness and maybe that is why it is hard to practice.
Mindfulness is not about “raising your vibration,” “achieving an altered state of consciousness,” or “achieving enlightenment.” As Vonk and Visser (2021) comment in their article on spiritual superiority,
“The ‘genuine’ spiritual path is nothing more or less than becoming awake: directly in touch with reality as it is right here and now, including qualities we do not like. The very starting point that something must be fixed or changed, that one needs to get away from here to a better situation, merely obscures contact with this reality.” (p. 153)
If we are able to come to the realization or momentarily connect in some way that “this is it,” mindfulness happens here right now through directly being in contact with life just as it is right here and now. We might also come to the realization that “right now is my life,” and this highlights the significance of the present moment in shaping our overall life and well-being. Why is this significant? Let’s reflect on this.
The past is past; it is gone, and the most we can do is cherish the experience and learn from it; but if we end up constantly engaging with our past experiences, mentally revisiting it, reliving it or trying to recreate past experiences, we will be stuck in it while our life passes by. The future has not yet happened it is not here to the extreme that I would say that it is illusionary. The only thing that we really have is the “unfathomable” present moment, which is where life happens.
Here, right now, in this moment, life is happening. Here, right now, we are breathing, sensing, moving, and living. And if we manage to embrace this, the realisation might arise that it is only by living life right now that we can move on to the next moment. By living fully right now, we are really paving the way for what we might call the “future.” Not by losing ourselves thinking about the next moment while this one passes by, but by engaging fully with the present one so the next one might emerge without regrets.
Not by losing oneself thinking about a past experience so that it might not happen right now while this moment right now is passing by. But by being engaged fully with the present one so that we might recognise what is happening right now, not to repeat past regrets, and not by thinking about them.
This calls us to take a different approach to life, which might be counterculture in a post-modern world.
Because mindfulness practice is a call to savour the simple joys, appreciate the small victories, and navigate challenges that might arise with a grounded perspective. Mindfulness teaches us to be fully present in our relationships, work, and personal endeavours, fostering a deeper connection with ourselves and those around us. So, despite the impermanent nature of life and each moment because we set an intention to engage fully in these.
Each passing moment becomes a part of our life's tapestry, and by embracing that 'this is it,' we acknowledge the fleeting nature of time. It compels us to let go of the illusion that happiness or fulfilment lies in some distant future, urging us to find contentment and purpose in the immediate now.
In essence, the challenge of mindfulness is not a grand pursuit but a quiet revolution that occurs within our awareness. It invites us to be present, to engage wholeheartedly with the symphony of life playing out in every passing moment. By realising that 'this is it,' we unlock the transformative power of mindfulness—one breath, one step, one moment at a time.
As Jack Kornfield comments in his book “A Path with A Heart,”
“When we let go of our battles and open our heart to things as they are, then we come to rest in the present moment. This is the beginning and the end of spiritual practice. Only in this moment can we discover that which is timeless. Only here can we find the love that we seek. Love in the past is simply memory, and love in the future is fantasy. Only in the reality of the present can we love, can we awaken, can we find peace and understanding and connection with ourselves and the world.” (p. 26)
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References
Kabat-Zinn, J. (1994). Wherever you go, there you are. New York, NY: Hyperion.
Kabat-Zinn, J. (2013). Full catastrophe living: How to cope with stress, pain and illness using mindfulness meditation (Revised and updated ed.). New York, NY: Random House USA Inc.
Kornfield, J. (1993). A path with heart: A guide through the perils and promises of spiritual life. New York, NY: Bantam Books.
Vonk, R., & Visser, A. (2021). An exploration of spiritual superiority: The paradox of self-enhancement. European Journal of Social Psychology, 51(1), 152-165. doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.2721