Being content with where you are

I "pinned" the above quote to my Pinterest "Vision Board" a few months ago and haven't been able to successfully apply this motto to my life yet. I have really been trying to work on staying in the present moment in my life. I've discovered that I can be successful at this for a day (or let's be honest a few hours in my day... okay, maybe a few minutes) but then life gets in the way and I start to worry about the future and my past and it all goes out the window. When I say stay in the present moment I mean truly taking in the moment and solely feeling and experiencing what is in front of you. I began reading "The Power of Now" a few years ago and then unsuccessfully finished it due to the wordiness of it and "not having time." Most of you know that I'm kind of obsessed with quotes. Quotes have always inspired me because they immediately motivate me and help me look at my world differently. Anyway, two quotes I adore from Eckhart Tolle are (and I apologize the first one is long...) 

"by planning for the future, you won't need to lose yourself in the future. The question is, are you using time on a practical level, or are you losing yourself in the future? If you think that when you take a vacation, or find the ideal partner, or get a better job or a nicer place to live or whatever it is, then you will finally be happy, that's when you lose yourself in the future. It's a continuous mental projection away from the now. That's the difference between clock time, which has its place in this world, and psychological time, which is the continuous obsession with the past and the future."A more simple quote I love from him is "“Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it.” 

I am constantly letting myself get lost in my future and it is only making me exhausted. If only I can make it to next year I will be fully licensed and then I will make enough money, then we will be ready for kids (your biological clock is ticking)... (side note: adoption is very close to my heart but that is another story/another post). And the inner dialogue continues- but we need a house first, then I will start cooking meals (seriously one day I will start cooking regularly) ... see how exhausting this is? I want to work on focusing on where I am now. And actually enjoy where I am in my life now. I am working hard towards a career I love and I should be proud of myself for managing (or sort of handling) the challenges with this career choice. I am enjoying being married. I love our little apartment and the memories I've made with my husband in it. Now that doesn't mean I won't plan and move toward future goals that I want. But I need to slow down and go at my own pace. I need to enjoy the ride as they say. Which I'm finding is way easier said than done.

I think we all ask ourselves "What do I need to be content?" and "What would make my life just right?" And the answer is most likely "if I can just get to this point" or "if I can just reach this goal." Your answer to these questions will also probably continually change. But I'm learning that if we try to stay more attuned to our present choices and our present life we will be more satisfied. Of course it is important to work toward future life goals and we have to figure out how to accomplish those goals and figure out "is this even possible?" If it's not meant to be we have to work really hard to find other ways (other passions, other options) to find fulfillment. I'm hoping to listen more to myself and trust that I am right where I'm supposed to be today.