One of the chief messages in most spiritual practices is mindfulness and staying in the present moment. It is one of the things we strive for while developing our meditation practice. It is the challenge of giving up the monkey mind and focusing our attention on just being present in the Presence. I have to admit I still struggle with this. However, now I just don’t put the pressure on myself any more. I know that when my mind wanders, it is just me taking care of business. It is an old safety mechanism from days gone by, a part of my brain that is in remote. If I admit that it is nothing more than that, it is easier to let go and just be present, instead of the constant battle to get rid of my thoughts. I just let them float by. Pretty soon I am calm and neutral.

But, what of letting go of the past in life? How can we create a new life if we are holding on to what has already happened? The truth is, we can’t. This is why so many of us repeat the life we know over and over and still wonder why nothing new is happening. I believe being conscious of this assists us to get into the present.

For myself, I believe it is a decision. We have a Principle in our teaching stated by the New Thought author Thomas Troward. It is this: “Principle is not bound by precedent.” What does this mean? There is a Principle – a Law of Cause and Effect. It is merely our ability to think and create from thought alone, followed by action. It is not bound by anything in our past, but only if we decide it isn’t. In other words, it is our decision to choose how we think. If we keep reiterating what we consider our mistakes than we will create more mistakes.

I believe that it isn’t as difficult as we make it. It’s like a groove in an old record that gets stuck. It’s like the channel on a T.V. We have the remote. We can click it to the next channel. We can pick up the needle on the record and put it somewhere else. I’m not sure why we make it so difficult. However, I’m sure it all boils down to loving and forgiving ourselves. It all comes down to recognizing our Divinity. It all comes down to accepting our responsibility in the game of life.

We have come to a time in our evolution where the realization of choice and responsibility is what will save us. No one can save us, but ourselves – not the right president or the Savior Jesus himself. We are all responsible for our own mind and our own lives. Giving up the past and only taking those things with us that can make a better present is key. Dr. Joe Dispenza once wrote, “The best way to predict your future is to create it not from the known, but from the unknown. When you get uncomfortable in the place of the unknown – that’s where the magic happens.” –

I invite us each to examine our reasons for not staying present. I invite us to challenge ourselves to forgive any part of our past that we feel needs forgiving. I invite us to take loving responsibility for how we use our most precious gift – our mind. We take up space in the One Mind/the Field of Energy in which we all reside. We can assist each other by making sure we are adding love and compassion to It.

Love and Aloha,

Rev. Rita Andriello-Feren, Co-Founding Director CSL Kaua`i and the Institute of Magnificence and Author of “What Do I Need to KNOW? 101 Thoughts That Changed My Life” and “This Thing Called Treatment,” both available on Amazon.