This extract is taken from Richard Carlson’s teachings ‘Don’t sweat the small stuff’.

The omnibus edition of the books is kept by my bedside and I like to dip into it last thing at night, or whenever I feel I need a nudge in the right direction.

These words remind us that irrespective of what happened yesterday or last year, or what may or may not happen tomorrow, the present moment is where you are….always!

We have all mastered the neurotic art of worrying. It’s become human nature. We allow past problems and future concerns to dominate our present moments, to the extent that we end up frustrated and confused. On the flip side, as a result of this, we postpone our gratification and happiness

and convince ourselves that ‘tomorrow’ will be better than today.

Unfortunately ‘tomorrow’ never arrives.

We repeat the same mentality over and over.

Most people (myself included) live life as if it were a dress rehearsal for some later date. ‘Now’ is the only time we have, and the only time we really have control over.

When our attention is in the present moment, we push aside fear of the unknown from our minds. Therefore to combat fear, bring your attention back to the present, learn from experience but focus on making your changes and growing through the here and now.