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Abstract

, Claire — had just spent 5 days with Eckhart Tolle — LIVE.Wow.She just brought that energy. The NOW energy.I stopped everything else I was doing. So I could bathe in that.Sure, it was second hand Tolle. But even so — it was glorious.<figure id="d1e8"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*[email protected]"><figcaption>Innisfree, by Susan B.</figcaption></figure>So we visited <a href="http://innisfreegarden.org/">Innisfree</a> Garden together, which is one of my go-to destinations as part of the Vision Quest program I offer to my mentees.And we walked, chatted, ate food, drank wine, sat around the campfire and sang songs.<figure id="8512"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*[email protected]"><figcaption>Innisfree by the lake, by Susan B.</figcaption></figure>Everything I love about where I live right now.At one point, over Sunday brunch, we talked about procrastination.I honestly don’t remember why the topic came up.But it did.Claire was sharing about her upcoming trip to India. She was going to live in a space that practices Ayurvedic medicine. She would be there for a month.Prior to journeying to the United States, first by way of Quebec, Canada, she had sold her house in England, and nearly all of her belongings. I was in awe of this bold move, and a bit envious about how her casual mention of it made it sound like a no-big-deal task. I know it’s a major accomplishment, divesting of so much in the material world. I am myself currently feeling a bit encumbered by my house and belongings.She said that one thing she learned during the process was that she went through a period where she just stopped answering mail, or phone calls, or emails. Just straight up ignored everything that was pretending to be urgent.I agreed with her. I told her that I had started doing the same thing in the past few years. And I agreed — it made me feel great — and hopeful! The idea that this procrastination thing might be something that was one of the official steps in the process, the journey, towards shedding the material anchors, really got me feeling a little lighter, even inspired!She noted that it was fascinating — how so much of what we believe we must deal with immediately, actually, when left alone, just all drifts away.And the really urgent things rise to the top,

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where you can then deal with them. They kind of self nominate in the universe’s prioritization scheme. A kind of ego-less decision making gig.I thought about that for 30 seconds, and came up with an example of how it had worked for me.YES! I had stopped paying attention to the electric company bills. They kept on sending them. I ignored them.Next thing I knew, they sent this really cute guy out with a truck. He knocked on the door.“Hi there, Ma’am. I’m with Central Hudson. They’ve sent me out to turn off your electricity, at the meter box here.”Quick note of explanation — my meter box is up a VERY long steep driveway, at least a quarter mile from the road. You can’t see my home from the road. We have a kind of psychological moat of entry, in that formidable driveway.“Unless we can get a check from you today?”“Oh,” I said, “how much do you need so you don’t have to turn it off?”He reviewed his paperwork, told me the amount, and I happily wrote him a check. Then I asked him if he’d like a cup of tea and some scones.But as Claire and I shared this story, we both recognized that the best thing about the whole incident was that the electric company sent a live person to meet me. And we were able to make a connection. Human to human. And chat, over tea and scones.So refreshing.She agreed, and we laughed.So much of what we stress about in life really doesn’t matter.<figure id="8595"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*w2MLc1JFRi3gt4RCTx4IIA.jpeg"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>I was so happy to share all the NOW moments with Claire while she was here.It was magical, mystical and fun.Who doesn’t need more of that?Susan Brearley is a published book author, writer, editor, essayist and accidental poet. She is currently working on her second book, a murder mystery about an OCD detective, who’s been called a “young version of Monk”. She’s a retired systems engineer and salesperson from IBM, a serial entrepreneur, and a survivor of a stage 4 inflammatory breast cancer since 1995. She’s also working on her US Coast Guard Captain’s license, has her US Sailing keelboat certification, and is the creator and elder teacher of a new program, “VisionQuest” that mentors and teaches adults of all ages how to create the life they were born to live. She is currently based in the mid-Hudson Valley, New York.</article></body>

Human Connections

Procrastination and How It Could Be Good For You

A Power of Now Tale

I won’t lie. This was a challenging piece to write. Is this a funny topic? I’m not sure.

I have the wonderful Michelle Monet to credit with motivating me. But truth be told, she’s off on a camping adventure, so I’m disinclined to really do any serious work while she’s off playing in nature. Because that’s my happy place, and if I prioritize my list, I’d go there too, before sitting behind a computer keyboard and screen, writing silly words.

But I’m a woman of integrity. So I’m going to finish what I started. Maybe. Tomorrow.

I had a guest over this past weekend. She had just come from Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, New York. It’s just a 20 minute ride from my home here.

I like to think of my gathering space as a sort of halfway house between Omega and the “real world”.

That’s Susan with the glasses, and Claire to her left. I’m no selfie master.

My guest, the lovely, voluptuous, super sexy, half French with a British accent and speaking proper Queen’s English, Claire — had just spent 5 days with Eckhart Tolle — LIVE.

Wow.

She just brought that energy. The NOW energy.

I stopped everything else I was doing. So I could bathe in that.

Sure, it was second hand Tolle. But even so — it was glorious.

So we visited Innisfree Garden together, which is one of my go-to destinations as part of the Vision Quest program I offer to my mentees.

And we walked, chatted, ate food, drank wine, sat around the campfire and sang songs.

Everything I love about where I live right now.

At one point, over Sunday brunch, we talked about procrastination.

I honestly don’t remember why the topic came up.

But it did.

Claire was sharing about her upcoming trip to India. She was going to live in a space that practices Ayurvedic medicine. She would be there for a month.

Prior to journeying to the United States, first by way of Quebec, Canada, she had sold her house in England, and nearly all of her belongings. I was in awe of this bold move, and a bit envious about how her casual mention of it made it sound like a no-big-deal task. I know it’s a major accomplishment, divesting of so much in the material world. I am myself currently feeling a bit encumbered by my house and belongings.

She said that one thing she learned during the process was that she went through a period where she just stopped answering mail, or phone calls, or emails. Just straight up ignored everything that was pretending to be urgent.

I agreed with her. I told her that I had started doing the same thing in the past few years. And I agreed — it made me feel great — and hopeful! The idea that this procrastination thing might be something that was one of the official steps in the process, the journey, towards shedding the material anchors, really got me feeling a little lighter, even inspired!

She noted that it was fascinating — how so much of what we believe we must deal with immediately, actually, when left alone, just all drifts away.

And the really urgent things rise to the top, where you can then deal with them. They kind of self nominate in the universe’s prioritization scheme. A kind of ego-less decision making gig.

I thought about that for 30 seconds, and came up with an example of how it had worked for me.

YES! I had stopped paying attention to the electric company bills. They kept on sending them. I ignored them.

Next thing I knew, they sent this really cute guy out with a truck. He knocked on the door.

“Hi there, Ma’am. I’m with Central Hudson. They’ve sent me out to turn off your electricity, at the meter box here.”

Quick note of explanation — my meter box is up a VERY long steep driveway, at least a quarter mile from the road. You can’t see my home from the road. We have a kind of psychological moat of entry, in that formidable driveway.

“Unless we can get a check from you today?”

“Oh,” I said, “how much do you need so you don’t have to turn it off?”

He reviewed his paperwork, told me the amount, and I happily wrote him a check. Then I asked him if he’d like a cup of tea and some scones.

But as Claire and I shared this story, we both recognized that the best thing about the whole incident was that the electric company sent a live person to meet me. And we were able to make a connection. Human to human. And chat, over tea and scones.

So refreshing.

She agreed, and we laughed.

So much of what we stress about in life really doesn’t matter.

I was so happy to share all the NOW moments with Claire while she was here.

It was magical, mystical and fun.

Who doesn’t need more of that?

Susan Brearley is a published book author, writer, editor, essayist and accidental poet. She is currently working on her second book, a murder mystery about an OCD detective, who’s been called a “young version of Monk”. She’s a retired systems engineer and salesperson from IBM, a serial entrepreneur, and a survivor of a stage 4 inflammatory breast cancer since 1995. She’s also working on her US Coast Guard Captain’s license, has her US Sailing keelboat certification, and is the creator and elder teacher of a new program, “VisionQuest” that mentors and teaches adults of all ages how to create the life they were born to live. She is currently based in the mid-Hudson Valley, New York.