47% of waking hours are spent thinking about what isn’t going on!

This blog was written as a guest post for LauriesPlace.net as a part of a blog tour for NORA’S PROMISE. Please stop by to check out the full tour at: https://lauriesplace.net/.

Focusing on the present moment is a key theme in my contemporary romance, NORA’S PROMISE.

It sounds simple, but for most of us, living in the now requires practice and ongoing awareness. A Harvard study found that people spend 47% of their waking hours thinking about what isn’t going on. It’s human nature to spend time dwelling in the past or worrying about the future. Unfortunately, this isn’t good for us. The Harvard study shows that this mind-wandering makes people unhappy.

“A human mind is a wandering mind, and a wandering mind is an unhappy mind,” says Killingsworth and Gilbert, professors of psychology at Harvard. “The ability to think about what is not happening is a cognitive achievement that comes at an emotional cost.”

“Mind-wandering is an excellent predictor of people’s happiness,” Killingsworth says. “In fact, how often our minds leave the present and where they tend to go is a better predictor of our happiness than the activities in which we are engaged.”

Increased happiness is an excellent reason to focus on the now. According to spiritual teacher, Eckhart Tolle, the only time we’re truly alive is in the present moment. Not in the past…not in the future…we live our lives in the now.

“Time isn’t precious at all, because it is an illusion. What you perceive as precious is not time but the one point that is out of time: the Now. That is precious indeed. The more you are focused on time—past and future—the more you miss the Now, the most precious thing there is.”—Eckhart Tolle

“When we live in the flow of that stream of energy, we remain centered and fulfilled even through the ups and downs of our day.” — Deepak Chopra

“The most precious gift we can offer others is our presence. When mindfulness embraces those we love, they will bloom like flowers.” — Thich Nhat Hanh

Living in the now allows us to savor the simple moments in life. It increases joy, reduces stress, and enhances our connection with others.

The greatest obstacle of presence is the mind. Mind-wandering is our brain’s default approach. Given this, we must be conscious of our thoughts and recognize when we’re not fully present. Once this acknowledgment takes place, there are many ways in which one can reconnect with the present moment. Several suggestions are provided below:

§  An age-old tip is to focus on your breathing. Bringing your attention to your breath reduces the number of thoughts running through your mind and opens space for awareness of what’s going on inside and around you.

§  Consciously move your body. Wiggle your toes, fist and release your hands. Roll your neck. It’s amazing how these simple movements return your attention to the now.

§  Ask yourself, “Am I present?” If not, redirect your focus. Ask this question many times throughout the day…and overtime you’ll likely find an upward trend of, “Yes!” responses.

§  Focus on your immediate surroundings using your senses. Listen to the birds chirping. Gaze at the mountains. Feel the sun warming your skin. Breathe in the scent of pine. Cup your hands around a mug of tea; feel its warmth and draw in the delicious spices.

Now it’s your turn—what techniques do you use to refocus or to remain focused on the present moment?

This blog was written by Sedona Hutton, author of women’s fiction and romance novels with spiritual & new age twists.

NORA’S PROMISE, a contemporary romance: She trusts animals more than men. He runs through women like tires. Can one orphaned boy force them to change gears? Purchase link: https://amzn.to/2OktquX

CLOUD WHISPERS, a contemporary novel: The daughter she gave away. The family she always wanted. The journey to redefine her fate. Purchase link: https://goo.gl/N9aC38

To sign up for Sedona’s blog newsletter, tap this link:  https://www.sedonahutton.com/

 Recommended Reading:

The Power of Now-A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle: https://amzn.to/2Rq9YgN

The Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire by Deepak Chopra: https://amzn.to/2C9BF5k

The Art of Living: Peace and Freedom in the Here and Now by Thich Nhat Hanh: https://amzn.to/2BRpecU

Disclosure: The above links to recommended books are affiliate links. If you buy the book through these links, I receive a small commission on the sale. I’ve recommended these books because they’ve been meaningful to me personally and not because of the affiliate program. However, from a legal perspective, I need to identify these as affiliate links.

Accepting What Is (Even the Flu!)

This blog was recently featured as a guest blog post on Leonard Tillerman's website: https://t.co/O33cob1gPx.

Last week I came down with the flu. I had hot and cold flashes, a sore throat, a runny nose…the whole gamut. In my miserable state, I attempted to think positive thoughts to will away my sickness, but my body mocked my best efforts.

Resigned, I stayed in bed for a couple of days. When I finally summoned a smidgen of energy, a new awareness emerged. It felt good to rest!

For many of us, November and December are busy months. I’ve been visiting kids and grandkids, working, writing, decorating, shopping, baking, wrapping…the list goes on and on. In the middle of my hustle-bustle, at the most inconvenient time, I got sick.

When I told my mother I had the flu, her response was simple. “Maybe your body just needs rest.”

Huh.

Pondering the idea that I’d caught the flu because my body recognized my need for rest, the concept of acceptance surfaced. It’s easy to practice acceptance when things are going my way. It’s much harder to accept what is when things aren’t as I want them to be. But perhaps practicing acceptance is every bit as important—maybe even more important—during challenging times.

In one of my favorite books, The Ten Commitments by Dr. David Simon, there’s an entire chapter dedicated to acceptance. Simon states: “When you resist what is happening in this moment, you are resisting the entire flow of life. I encourage you to practice acceptance of this moment, because considering what you are up against (the entire universe from the beginning of time), resistance is unlikely to be successful.”

Instead, Simon suggests accepting what is in every moment. Accepting what is doesn’t mean you want to stay where you are, nor does it mean you shouldn’t take action. However, when you acknowledge and accept where you are, it creates an opening for new ideas and alternative choices that can help you move toward that which you desire.

In the past, I’ve resisted my sickness. I’ve chastised myself over doing too much, eating poorly, and not exercising. I have questioned my judgment over traveling, attending a holiday party and shopping on the busiest day of the year, exposing me to countless sick people. But the self-judgment only made me feel worse.

Bemoaning our current situation or blaming ourselves or others releases negative energy and attracts more of the same. Instead of resisting what is, practice acceptance, which allows for a positive energy shift. If you don’t like what is, determine if there are alternatives or steps that will help you achieve your desired state. Practicing acceptance brings inner peace.

“Accept—then act. Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it. Always work with it, not against it…This will miraculously transform your entire life.”—Eckhart Tolle

Going forward, instead of beating myself up, I’m going to practice acceptance. I will accept my flu, cold, or whatever bug I might have, without blame. Instead, I’m going to view my illness as a gift of rest, relaxation, and detox.

“If I could define enlightenment briefly I would say it is the quiet acceptance of what is.”—Wayne Dyer

Recommended Books:
The Ten Commitments by Dr. David Simon: https://amzn.to/2UEH0J2
The Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire by Deepak Chopra: https://amzn.to/2C9BF5k
The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle: https://amzn.to/2QQSxFU
10 Secrets for Success & Inner Peace by Wayne Dyer: https://amzn.to/2QQReH5

Disclosure: The above links to the recommended books are affiliate links. If you buy the book through these links, Sedona Hutton will receive a small commission on the sale. She is recommending these books because they’ve been meaningful to her personally and not because of the affiliate program. However, from a legal perspective, they need to be identified as affiliate links. 

New Year Intentions & Releases

Years ago, I gave up New Year’s resolutions after becoming frustrated with the cycle of making and breaking my goals. Sound familiar? Every year, millions of people make New Year’s resolutions even though research shows that over 90% of resolutions are broken, most within the first month.

Over the years, I’ve found two processes that work better for me—a New Year’s Intention Process and a New Year’s Release Process. Below is a recap of both.

New Year’s Intention Process

In this process, I write down my top three to five intentions for the year. This may sound like a resolution process, but it differs greatly. When I used to make resolutions, they were tied to specific, tangible things like losing weight or exercising more. I use the intention process to focus on more spiritual qualities like peace, love, joy, kindness, and connection. On January 1st, I write my intentions and post them on a wall where the words will be in my line of sight every day. When I look at my intentions, they cause me to ponder how I can spread more kindness or how I can generate greater inner peace. This process helps me set a positive vision for the year and it benefits not only me, but others as well.

New Year’s Release Process

I use this process to rid myself of emotions, beliefs, and habits that no longer serve me. Examples include: Fears, doubts, negativity, and attachment. This simple three-step process helps me start the new year with a clean slate!

Process steps:

1. Identify those emotions, beliefs, or habits you wish to release.

2. Write them on a rock (one per stone.)

3. On New Year’s Day, go to a location of your choice, and release your rocks.


Tips:

o A mountain, field, stream, lake, or the ocean are great locations for releasing your rocks.

o An alternative is to write your releases on slips of paper and burn them.

Regardless of whether you make resolutions, intentions, releases, or use no process at all, I wish each of you great peace, love, and joy in the New Year!


This blog is written by Sedona Hutton, author of women’s fiction/romance novels with spiritual and New Age twists.

NORA’S PROMISE, a contemporary romance: She trusts animals more than men. He runs through women like tires. Can one orphaned boy force them to change gears? Purchase link: https://amzn.to/2OktquX

CLOUD WHISPERS, a contemporary novel: The daughter she gave away. The family she always wanted. The journey to redefine her fate. Purchase link: https://goo.gl/N9aC38

Holiday Unity

There is great religious and thought diversity in our country with nearly thirty different holidays celebrated between November 1 and January 15. Christmas, Hanukkah, Ramadan, Kwanza, Diwali, Bodhi Day, Winter Solstice, and many others.

While the nightly news highlights the issues caused by this diversity, there is also much compassion and kindness shared between those with different beliefs. Food served to the homeless, an Angel Christmas tree, an encouraging word, a smile, a hug…people helping people across religion, race, nationality, sexual orientation and a multitude of other differences.

At our core, we’re all the same. We have the same basic desires—peace, love, joy, and compassion. Maybe even more important, we’re all connected. Genetic studies have shown that everyone on Earth is related to everyone else if we go back a few thousand years.

Namaste is an ancient Sanskrit greeting that means, “the Spirit in me connects with the Spirit in you.” What a beautiful way to greet others and to acknowledge and honor our connectedness!

What if we focused on this connection instead of our divisions? What if we looked for the good in others instead of fixating on our differences? Focusing on the positive creates peace within and in the collective consciousness. Imagine what our world would look like without judgment, without an ‘us’ versus ‘them’, without hate.

During this holiday season, let’s celebrate our unity. Let’s spread holiday cheer by practicing non-judgment, compassion, kindness, and acceptance. One by one, we can create peace within and be the change we want to see in the world.

Wishing each of you a Happy Holiday in whatever way you celebrate it and a New Year filled with peace, love, and connectedness.

Namaste!

This blog is written by Sedona Hutton, author of women’s fiction/romance novels with spiritual and new age twists.

NORA’S PROMISE, a contemporary romance: She trusts animals more than men. He runs through women like tires. Can one orphaned boy force them to change gears? Purchase link: https://amzn.to/2OktquX

CLOUD WHISPERS, a contemporary novel: The daughter she gave away. The family she always wanted. The journey to redefine her fate. Purchase link: https://goo.gl/N9aC38

New Age Themes in Nora’s Promise

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” ― Mahatma Gandhi

As an author, it’s my aspiration to write stories that not only entertain, but also inspire. Given this, my novels include romance, conflict, and family drama as well as a sprinkling of new age, thought-provoking concepts.

One of the key themes in my work-in-progress novel, The Perfect Lap, is the notion that everyone’s doing the best they can from their current state of awareness. In my new contemporary romance, Nora’s Promise, new age topics included are animal compassion, kindness, and the power of now.

Below I’ve provided a selection of the Nora’s Promise Book Club questions for your thought-provoking pleasure!

1. Steph indicates that “Kindness is a choice.” Do you believe that practicing kindness is a choice? How can you implement this in your life? 
2. Steph turned to the Law of Attraction for help after she was diagnosed with cancer. Are you familiar with the Law of Attraction? What are your thoughts on this law? 
3. Nora’s grandfather tells her, “When you dwell in the past, you’re giving away your personal power to create what you want in this moment.” What do you think this means? Do you agree? 
4. Steph, and later Nora, practiced gratitude to ground themselves. They used a simple technique of closing their eyes and silently listing their gratitude’s. Have you ever practiced gratitude—meditatively, journaling, or through another method? How did it make you feel? 
5. In order for Nora and Davey to make the changes necessary for their happily ever after they both had to grow spiritually. Nora had to learn to focus in the present moment and Davey needed to learn to trust the universe and align with his own values. Do you think spiritual growth is an important component in most relationships? Can you think of examples to support your position? 

A full list of Reading Group Guide questions can be found at the end of Nora’s Promise and on my website at: https://www.sedonahutton.com.

Tap this link to buy Nora’s Promise today: https://amzn.to/2OktquX

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.” ― Dr. Seuss