The Power of Now & Then - An Excerpt

 
Your experience can create great things,
​if you stay in the moment.

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Timing is everything in life. While enduring one of the most difficult time periods of my life, I have been reminded to focus on the "power of now." Focusing on the  now is difficult, but not impossible. It takes a while to train the brain, but know it is achievable. Excerpts from this book arrived in my email inbox and relating to the message and the book's concept, I wanted to share one of the most powerful messages - the power of now and then. 

Dwelling on the past and worrying about the future is common in this technological age. Social media ignites the idea that everything in life has to be perfect and stirs emotions of how everyone's life looks so glamorous meanwhile ours may "suck." It makes us worry more about the future, and like a hamster running in a cage, we strive for further perfection or this ideal life. 

Focus on the now. Focus on what you can do in this moment to make a change, knowing that this is a stepping stone to your future self. These are all lessons I remind myself daily and without further ado, here is the except of "The Power of Now and Then" written by Gary Szenderski. 

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Your experience can create great things, if you stay in the moment.
 
I have often written about the power of being in the moment and appreciating what is happening this very second. Being in the now is empowering in many ways because it frees us from the burden of the past and worry of the future. Being present and aware allows us to gather more input and develop a greater ability to absorb what is happening now. Noticing details about surroundings or the look and words of people we’re with is heightened when our mind stops living in the past or future and pays attention to what is right now.
 
It takes real practice to stay in the moment, but it’s worth it. If we learn to use the now as a place of engagement or even refuge from worry, we begin to get a glimpse of ourselves observing ourselves. This self-observation and reflection is extremely useful when applying all of the previous moments of our life – the then– to what will be the new now. In other words, our experience, good or bad, is always with us and available to help construct and hopefully enjoy the now that is currently upon us.
 
The power of “then” lies in its symbiotic relationship with our psyche and ego. Whatever we may have learned can be useful in any given moment. And any given meditative awareness of the moment, the power of now is the most fertile time for launching new thoughts and writing new chapters in our life. That’s because whatever path we have taken to get to this place in time, has prepared us for the “new now” we’re about to slide into. If we tap into what got us here, we can create a better version of ourselves from here forward, one step, one chapter, one moment at a time.
 
Gary Szenderski, Author of Szen Zone

About the Author:
 
Gary Szenderski is an author, speaker, teacher and branding specialist. He specializes in helping people and organizations to navigate change, and frequently speaks and writes on the topic of emerging brands, personal branding and companies in transition. Gary is an award-winning writer, author of the Book of Szen and Szen Zone, often quoted marketing expert, and recipient of the Distinguished Instructor Award from the University of California in Irvine where he teaches branding. He resides in Southern California.
 
Readers can connect with him on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads. 

Do you have any lessons or tips about the power of now? We'd love to hear your story, tips or guidance to help other readers discover the power of now. 
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