Summary

The article emphasizes the importance of recognizing the present moment as the perfect time to embrace change and personal growth, regardless of past mistakes or perceived delays in life.

Abstract

The article, through a personal anecdote involving a meditation session with a friend named Tony, conveys the message that one is always "right on time" for their life's journey. It suggests that living with gratitude in the present and letting go of the victim mentality is crucial for personal development. The author reflects on their own past, acknowledging wasted years chasing an unattainable future and the struggle with the concept of being enough. The narrative shifts to the idea that success and joy do not have to be perpetually pursued in the future and that every moment, whether good or bad, contributes to one's current state. The article encourages readers to release the self-imposed stories of inadequacy and to embrace the imperfections of the present. It concludes with a meditation exercise, urging individuals to breathe in their aspirations and exhale the burdens of resentment, shame, and the need for control, thereby accepting the present as the right moment to shape their future.

Opinions

The author believes that present-state gratitude is key to escaping the victim mentality.
It is expressed that the past cannot be changed and that it is essential to accept it as it is.
The article suggests that the pursuit of success often leads to the feeling of never being "on track."
It posits that experiences, both positive and negative, are valuable and necessary for personal growth.
The author advocates for letting go of the need to control every aspect of life to truly seize the future.
There is an opinion that the idea of not being enough or not being where one should be is a detrimental story to tell oneself.
The article promotes the notion that the present moment is sufficient and that one is adequately equipped to face it.

You Are Right on Time Even if You Wasted Years of Your Life – And Here’s Why

Change your view and seize your future

I was recently on a call with my friend Tony. He is part business coach, part life coach, and part master energy healer. We “dropped in” to meditate and move some energy around. At the end of the session, he said something that stuck with me. “Think of how easy it is to be you at this moment. You’re right on time. Right on time for this moment.”

If we want to escape the victim mentality and live with present-state gratitude, this is the attitude we need to embody.

I spent most of my 20s working and partying: many 16-hour days and drunk, near-sleepless nights. I was chasing a future that would never arrive and did all I could to distract myself from the moment.

I wasted years living as a wasted, stressed-out manchild. Those steps on my life’s staircase were in disrepair. I needed to fall through those cracks and climb my way up to the next step.

In my 30s, I settled down a bit. Yet joy still lived in the future. Pain lived in the present, if only in my mind.

When I look at my circle of highly successful friends, one theme is pervasive: nobody is on track. This is one edge of the sword of always striving for more.

Release the story you have been telling yourself

So many people feel that they are not where they need to be. It will never be enough.

They can be enough once they hit that earning mark, buy that house, marry that person, or have those experiences.

Every moment, whether horrible or blissful or somewhere between, brought us here, to the (right) now.

You don’t have to be in some other moment. You don’t have to face something you’re not facing here and now.

The past had to happen as it did. It couldn’t have happened any other way, simply because it didn’t. Whether or not you felt you created the future you are living in now, it’s done. They are but particles in a world of past possibilities.

Just be with what’s true in you and realize you’ve got this moment. You’re fully resourced for the only version of now.

Release the story that you aren’t enough as you are or enough to get where you know you can be.

It starts by stepping into imperfect existence now.

Breathe in this moment and let go

Breathe in the things you want to create. Imagine only what’s essential.

What is it that you want to create? What is it you want more of in your life?

Breathe that air into all the cells of your body.

While we can certainly play the role of creator in our lives, much more is happening behind the scenes.

Much is so far beyond anyone’s control. Yet, we put all the pressure on ourselves.

“Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted. And experience is often the most valuable thing you have to offer.” — Randy Pausch

What if the experience of this moment was enough, no matter what outcome it produced? What if your experiences, good and bad, were necessary to create the person the world needed most?

Take that step towards that thinking with your breath. What is it that no longer serves you? What is it that you can let go of as you exhale?

Let go of resentment.

Let go of shame.

Let go of limitations.

Let go of the past.

Let go of the weight of choices.

Let go of the idea that somehow you’re not on track.

Let go of the idea you must get somewhere other than this moment.

As you exhale, release that story. Release that resentment that’s been poisoned in your system. Let it out. Let it go as you exhale.

You’re right on time now, in the here and the now.

You can seize your future only when you let go of your need for total control of the present — and the idea that you’re not on track.