Food for Thought

Don't Anticipate

We wear ourselves out unnecessarily when we spend our energy anticipating the future rather than living in the present. To anticipate bad things is obviously detrimental to our serenity. It is also needless, since most of the things we worry about never happen. Even if some of them do occur, it is easier by far to deal with real disasters than with imagined ones.

Anticipating future satisfactions can also be detrimental to our serenity. If we are living for an event or condition, which is yet to come, we are not completely alive to what is here now. We may build up some future pleasure in our minds to such an unrealistic pitch that the actual event is bound to be disappointing.

Accepting the here and now is what ensures our sanity and our serenity. Reality is never more than we can manage, with the help of our Higher Power. It is our anticipation of the future, which is unreal and dangerous.

May I live today and leave the future to You.

From Food for Thought: Daily Meditations for Overeaters by Elisabeth L. ©1980, 1992 by Hazelden Foundation

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Constructive action can only be taken in the present moment. A mind that is in the present moment and doing inspired work loses itself completely and is said to be in flow. Such a mind is awake, alert, and creative, full of possibilities. It is only by consistently focusing in the present moment can we create the life we really want.

As a compulsive overeater/addict, I spent the majority of my time living in the past or the future; ignoring the present moment entirely.  I lived with the "When I'm Thin & Life Will Be Perfect" mentality, or the "When I Was Thin" mentality, neither of which was reality.  The only moment that's real is NOW.  Yesterday is a memory & tomorrow is a hallucination.

 Why worry about what might happen tomorrow, trying to cope with the outcome of something that isn't REAL?  I can set up a series of 'what if's'............what if A happens, or B, or C or D, and how will I react should such a scenario occur?  I lose focus on what's happening NOW, and wind up living inside of my HEAD instead of the real world!

Accepting the here & now is what ensures my sanity & serenity. Following my food plan for today, for the next 24 hours, is all I need to concern myself with.  I will live today & leave the future in God's hands.