Right Here, Right now

Somewhere, over the rainbow, way up high.
There’s a land that I heard of Once in a lullaby.
Somewhere, over the rainbow, skies are blue.
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true.

It’s easy to get caught up in the thoughts of planning for our retirement. Isn’t that why I created this blog in the first place? BUT that’s a long ways away. How long? I don’t really know for sure.

I’m 54 years old as I write this. As things sit today the earliest that I could retire would be December 2016, making me 62. Better financially would be 2020, or 66 years of age. That’s a lot of years and many unknowns between now and either one of those dates.

I recently came across this quote in a book I was reading:

Your life is not a dress rehearsal for some later date – it’s right here, right now ~ Richard Carlson

It really struck a chord with me. Not that this was news to me or anything, but it is so easy to lose sight of where you are sometimes. So easy to fixate on the future, or the past for that matter, that we forget about the present.

Maybe it’s the writing for this blog that takes my attention to the future so often. Maybe it’s the recent/current work situation for myself and those that I know. Maybe, and more honestly, it’s just me doing what I’ve done for much of my life – look ahead to the next phase.

Living in the present moment, or mindfulness, is something that has nearly always eluded me. I’ve had my dances with it, but I’m always left sitting alone afterward. I admire and am intrigued by those that have achieved this. Even more so, those to whom it comes naturally. The later, I believe, have no idea the gift they have. Why should they? They are too busy living!

The colours of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people going by
I see friends shakin’ hands, sayin’ “How do you do?”
They’re really saying “I love you”

I see trees of green, red roses too
I see them bloom for me and you
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world