Grabbing a Thought So You Can Let It Go

Paying attention to what you are doing in this present moment is important if you want to live a happy, fulfilled life.  Paying attention to the present moment means letting go of all of the other stuff that is going on in your head.  All of the stuff that happened last night or that is going to happen tomorrow.

But if you are like me, you find some of that stuff to be important.  But it is not important to what you are doing at this very moment.  You need to let it go.

I let it go using a little notepad.  I keep it with me all of the time.   So while I am helping my daughters with their homework and the thought that I need to make next weeks grocery list pops into my mind, I scribble it on my list and let the thought go.  Now I won't forget to do it but I won't think about it again while I am doing 3rd grade math.  Then each night after my kids go to bed I sit down with my notebook and either take care of the thoughts or transfer them to my to-do list to handle later.

This not only works for the to-do thoughts in my life but for worrying thoughts as well.  Say, I was a little short with my husband on the phone earlier in the day.  Instead of dwelling on that in the middle of helping with a science experiment, I make myself a note.  Then when I have the time I think about how I acted and why and how I can do it differently next time and I call him back and say I am sorry.

Yes, sometimes the thought that pops into my head is too urgent to go on a list for later.   Then I excuse myself from what I am doing and I deal with it.  Like when a friend calls with a crisis.  That is now my present moment.  I try not to do this often but sometimes it happens.

YOUR TURN:
Go ahead and pick something you like... notepad or a  sticky note app on your phone or a voice recorder. And capture your thoughts.  Then let them go until you can give them your full attention later on.  See if this doesn't help you to be present in the moment from now on.