Touch Grass

The younger generations often say, “Go touch grass,” to their friends whom they perceive are spending too much time online, and not experiencing their time in “the real world”. “Touch Grass” means come back to reality, come back to what’s real, get down to earth, breathe in some fresh air, and don’t get too caught up in the incitements of the ever-changing moment.

I like it. “Touch grass.” Simple. Meaningful. Useful. Easy. I, myself, often go outside into my own yard, in my bare feet, and I literally touch grass frequently. Pachamama. Doing this gets you in touch with the present moment and with the connection which we have to all living things. (I realize that at this time of year, it is easier to do this where I live in Florida, than in other places which may be covered in snow. In those cases, “Dig for some grass and then touch it (quickly) and then go back inside.”

Yesterday, my husband had the day off from work, and so we took a long walk with our three dogs, but that wasn’t enough. It was a beautiful, sunny, cool, crisp day, so after the walk, we took off on our bikes, and we rode around for a two hour jaunt out in our neighborhood, around a local park, and we explored various bike trails along the way. When I found my mind veering to past experiences, or to future planning, while we were riding, I brought myself back to the present moment by repeating to myself the statement, “Touch grass.” Simple. Meaningful. Useful. Easy. Touch grass. Touch grass. Touch grass.

Touch grass.

Are you passing on love or are you passing on pain? Heal your pain and pass on love.

What Is

“Never let the memories of the way things were, blind you from the reality of the way things are.” – unknown

We all do the above statement, don’t we? We stay in relationships, friendships, jobs, neighborhoods, club affiliations, etc. sometimes way past their expiration dates, lost in the fond remembrance and loyalties, stemming from the past. When we do this, we avoid the fact that everything is always in a constant state of change, including us. Change is the only constant. It’s okay to outgrow a situation that is no longer healthy or right for us. Goldfish move from bowls to aquariums and then to ponds. Plants need to be replanted when they grow too big for their confining pots. The examples go on and on.

Right now, there are so many books and teachings on the importance of being aware and staying in the present moment. At a time in history when everything, especially technology, seems to be growing and changing at warp speed, it is even more important to take pause, take a breath and really assess what is going on in our lives, right in the present moment. Now. It is a hard concept to grasp, but the only thing that we really have is the present moment. Now is the only reality.

“The reason people find it hard to be happy is that they always see the past better than it was, the present worse than it is, and the future less resolved than it will be.” – u.fo Twitter