TLC Assignment More on the Ghosts of Yesterday…

There are times when the internal noise gets so loud that action feels impossible. Bitterness, regret, vengefulness, remorse — these are not just negative emotions. They are indicators. They are telling you something very specific: you are caught in your past, trying to change something that has already been recorded and cannot be rewritten. The moment you recognize what that feeling is actually pointing to, you can stop fighting the irreversible — and start taking real action in the only place action is possible: right now, today.

Reading the Emotional Indicators

There are times when we get caught up in life and feel overwhelmed — very little energy, very few ideas about what actions to take to improve the quality of our life. We must remember that the first and foremost action we can take is the spiritual action: to grow spiritually is to be able to quiet down the insides. We cannot function to good purpose nor make clear decisions when we are running all the time in fear, anxiety and worry.

If we are riddled with bitterness, regret, vengefulness, or remorse, this is an indicator that we are caught up in our past — trying to change something that has already taken place. We wallow back and forth wishing we had taken this action or that action. The action we need to take right now is to settle with our past. We might not get to figure out all the exact details in this moment, but there has to be a way to quiet the storm right now.

It is the action we take in the day we are in that matters. If our past is blocking us from living today, then we need to let that go.

The Way of Life as the Solution

When the consciousness of our mind is running so fast that nothing seems to settle, when we cannot get clarity about actions today, it means we are focusing too much on what has already gone down. There needs to be the understanding that if we have a way of life now — something we can take action in to create harmony in our inner life — then everything that happened has led us to a moment where we can find our freedom now.

A way of life that allows us to process emotions and past history and show us the best actions for today — that is what we need. Part of that way of life is: no more chaotic emotions. No more erratic emotions that disturb us and take us all over the map. We have to learn to regulate our emotions and one way to do that is to feel good about the way of life we have today, right now, in this moment.

The Discipline: No More Yesterday Without Purpose

One of the first things we must start with in a way of life: let the past go. When the time is right, we will settle with it and come to terms with it. But the first process must be: stop engaging with the past and stop reflecting on yesterdays. The discipline becomes: no more thinking about yesterday unless there is purpose or there is a guide present. If we are really caught up in our yesterdays, it definitely means we should not talk or think about our past without a guide — someone to let us know when we are getting too caught up, looking at it the wrong way, hanging onto the wrong things.

When memories and thoughts from the past are disturbing us, disengage. Think about what you can do today to bring harmony into your life. Who can you call to tell them you love them? Who can you share time with that makes you feel good? Who can you help and be of service to? These are the actions that quiet the disturbance from yesterdays.

Intense Presence: The Lindbergh Principle

When Charles Lindbergh flew across the Atlantic — not knowing if he would survive — he said he was intensely aware of the cockpit and every little gauge, every instrument, how the screws fit in, where the welds were. Every little aspect and detail of that cockpit. Because when we are in adversity, there is so much to see. So much of us looking for answers. And when we are looking for answers, they are always right in front of us.

We must apply practicing that intense presence of being in the moment we are in, because we are looking for guidance. We are looking for direction. We are looking for signals to indicate what we should do — and in order to find them, we have to be present. Not only present, but actively embracing the moment we are in with such intensity and clarity that we are looking for the next little guidance. It could come in the most minute way — a word overheard, a feeling that arises, a sudden clarity — but it could be the major component that is necessary. That is how we find it: by stopping everything, listening as if our life depends on it, and paying attention to everything that happens.

The best way to quiet the disturbance today is to trust that all your life has led up to this moment where you are embracing a way of life. This way of life will guide you from this point forward. You no longer have to “figure it out.” The job is to be at peace in the day you are in.