When did you have your "This is IT" realization?

[Geila]

Recently it hit me how much these past few years have impacted how I feel about my life. I don't know if it's the midlife thing (I'm in my mid 40's), or what, but it's been quite remarkable.

A few years ago, I just began to feel very emotionally settled and centered. All those thoughts of "When I do x I will finally feel good...." or "If I only had/did such and such..." just faded away. This very peaceful feeling of Enoughness (as Dominguez and Robin would say) settled over me. This is it. There is nothing I need or want that I don't have. There is nothing that is going to make my life more amazing or satisfying. This is nirvana.

I hope everyone will understand that this comes, not from a place of arrogance or boasting, but from that place where desire and dissatisfaction have been properly settled. It feels like flowing gently with the current rather than struggling against it. What's most amazing is that I don't really know how I got here! Granted, I've worked hard to gain clarity and purpose in my life, but this last leap feels like a gift of grace. Certainly not of my doing, but a gift received from the universe.

Have you felt this way?

[catherine]

Haha, I guess you don't have to ask me--just look at my avatar!

But it took me a long time to get here, and I'm not sure I'm even all the way there yet. For me, I chose "This is it" as my avatar because I feel strongly that attention to the present moment in full awareness is the most important thing there is. Otherwise, you're just wasting your life. Thomas Carlyle said, "The tragedy of human beings is not so much in how much they suffer, but rather in how much they miss."

So it's a reminder that:

Tomorrow.. noooo
Yesterday.. nooo
Maybe someday.. nooo
When I get to heaven.. noooo
It was so nice back when… noooo
I can't wait until…. nooooo

This is it. Right here. Right now. yesssss!

[Geila]

Haha, I guess you don't have to ask me--just look at my avatar!

But it took me a long time to get here, and I'm not sure I'm even all the way there yet. For me, I chose "This is it" as my avatar because I feel strongly that attention to the present moment in full awareness is the most important thing there is. Otherwise, you're just wasting your life. Thomas Carlyle said, "The tragedy of human beings is not so much in how much they suffer, but rather in how much they miss."

So it's a reminder that:

Tomorrow.. noooo
Yesterday.. nooo
Maybe someday.. nooo
When I get to heaven.. noooo
It was so nice back when… noooo
I can't wait until…. nooooo

This is it. Right here. Right now. yesssss!

Hi Catherine - thank you for your response. Such wisdom! I especially love the bolded part. It's been a real challenge for me to get here. Much wasted time... :|(

[rosarugosa]

So well put Catherine! Thanks!

[razz]

Excellent thread about enough in one's life in a different way from the economic approach. I feel that life is a joy to be lived and cherished each moment NOW.

[frugal-one]

On the same vein... my current motto is "It is later than you think!" Meaning, of course, do it now. Whatever "IT" is important to you!

[Kestra]

Just within the last few months. I haven't perfected it yet and still have some confusing days, but overall I'm very happy with my current life. It's what I want and I'm content with my day to day. I'm not so obsessed about the future or what to do next, which is a big change for me.

[Williamsmith]

I don't know how I ran across this little book but it is titled aptly, "Simple Living" by Jose Hobday. In it she encourages being present to oneself, allow yourself to be creative and open as far as your attitude. Past and future not as important as NOW. I find it very true but hard to hold to.

[SteveinMN]

I think after a year away from my day job, I reviewed our lives and our finances and finally breathed a little better. I guess that would be the "this is it!" moment for me.

I love my life! There may be days like yesterday, when constant interruption from others made it impossible to cross anything off that day's to-do list, but they managed to cross several items off the master to-do list. That day was a 'win' even if I didn't do what I set out to do that morning.

I would not say, though, that I am at nirvana. I plan to enjoy the day I am a grandfather to a child old enough to interact with seriously and the day I finally get all the old electronics out of their storage area to wherever they can go. And we're still in that weird spot between getting ready for retirement and not yet being able to tap into those income streams, so there is a little concern about finances still.

I'm not sure I'll ever reach nirvana. But I do plan to have fun getting there!

[Teacher Terry]

For the most part I have everything I want. We are now in the stage of our lives that we are doing some serious traveling while we both are healthy. WE took a month RV trip-4,000/miles. The end of Oct we are going on a 3 week trip that entails a 13 day cruise. In May we are going to hawaii with family. Having a great time! We also went from being retired to semi-retired by consulting p.t. in our fields. WE did this for 2 reasons-we got bored & missed work & wanted more $ to travel.

[SteveinMN]

DW had never seen the movie "Office Space" before. Both I and our house guest have long recommended it as a cult favorite and a biting commentary on modern corporate work. While DW was appalled at the treatment of the employees, I realized how happy I am that those days are long long gone for me. I'm happy that I don't even have to think about going back.

[TVRodriguez]

I think about a year or two ago I realized how good I have it. How fortunate I am. How I have everything I need and hardly want anything at all.

But my feeling of good fortune probably began in middle or high school. We used to travel as a family to my dad's home country in South America, and in the 80s and 90s, there was a lot of terrorism there. It was not uncommon to see soldiers stationed outside of restaurants or to have your bag searched. One of my dad's cousins was kidnapped, tortured, and killed even after the ransom was paid. It was also not uncommon to see kids my age who were hawking postcards to earn money to eat. Kind of hard to grow up not feeling a huge sense of gratitude for living in the US in an upper middle class life, having access to anything that I could work for.

But definitely after I started my own practice and felt true autonomy over my work life, that's when I think everything finally felt like it fell into place. I was in a good marriage, with great healthy kids, in a nice small house, but work sort of sucked until I ventured on my own. I LOVE working for myself. It's really a highlight of my life.

[TxZen]

I hit this about a year ago, when all heck hit the fan. I just left myself go, took a huge leap of faith and let life take me on adventure. I can say, I think I reached the holy grail in my chosen career at the time, $$$ wise, stature wise, respect of peers/family, etc..I could buy what I wanted and go where I wanted, within reason, and I was miserable. I have found, since going back to college and teaching, more meaning in my life and all the material and financial worries are not there. I feel like I am the most authentic me right now and I am just enjoying living. Today I had to go to Target. I perused the back to school aisle and thought of all the possibilities to come. Just a nice moment to catch myself in. Might be a 40 something thing- I turn 41 next month. This past vacation was the first true vacation where I enjoyed myself, went with the flow and just lived each moment.