Living in the Now, by Dr. Ogi Ressel

Warm hellos to everyone!
I wanted to chat with you about an issue that many doctors have fallen prey to - especially
in these times: Worry.
Your new obsession with worry has been slowly transforming you into a bit of a worry-wart.
The problem is that this process is insidious - it slowly takes over your life. Take a look:
You worry about the fact that you "ain't got no new patients." You worry because your
patient visits are going nowhere. Your percentage of children is very low. You new CA is
just not there for you. The bills are increasing and there is not enough money in the account.
Your spouse married you on a promise of a better life than the one you are living. And your
thoughts are turning to simply bailing out.
You notice that you fret over everything - that funny sensation in your chest, that strange
rumble in your tummy, that unexplained stiffness, that worrisome feeling in your body, etc.
And it spills over into other areas of your life - vacations are marred with worry over the
weather, flights, congestion of the roads, accommodations, safety issues, etc. And even
your daily life is in trouble - what if the car quits, what if my spouse wants to leave, what
if the insurance check is late, what if I can‘t meet the payment on the house, different
roads you could have been taken in your life, missed opportunities, what if, what if....
The result is unrelenting anxiety. You are spinning. Over everything.
STOP!
This is undermining your happiness and appreciation for life. You are focused on all the
"bad" things that might happen at the expense of appreciating all the good that is
occurring at the moment.
Many of us do this and it is unrelenting - it slowly creeps into your life and you don't
even recognize it. It usually takes an outside source to make you see what you are becoming.
A little while ago, I had the pleasure of chatting with Joshua Zuchter, a good friend and
an empowerment specialist (www.joshuazuchter.com) and we talked about Eckhart Tolle's
(Vancouver based writer and spiritual leader) new book; "The Power of Now" and the fact
that most people are living in either their past or their future - and this is the biggest
reason for worry.
Tolle says that nothing ever occurs "except in the now." The past is simply a trace memory
of a former now. The future, when is finally arrives, is now. And all we ever have in our life is
this very moment. But, at the same time, this doesn't mean we shouldn't plan for the future
or remember the past. It just means that our thoughts need to be focused on our present
moment.
Think about it: When you worry, you are thinking over events and/or situations that have
not yet occurred - the "what if" syndrome. You are living in the future. Anxiety, dread - all
forms of fear - are rooted in the preoccupation with the future and they contaminate our
awareness and appreciation of the present moment.
Tolle states; "You are projecting yourself into an imaginary future situation and creating
fear, but there is no way you can cope with such a situation because it doesn't exist.
And the wonderful thing is that when a crisis does arise, most of us find that we can cope
with it. Liberating thought isn't it?
Feelings such as depression, guilt, remorse, bitterness, resentment, grievances and grudges
 - and all forms of non-forgiveness - arise from too many thoughts focused on the past and
not enough on the present moment.
Often running mental movies in your mind of some anticipated event - a party, some new
patient event, a patient presentation, etc., can set us up for dissatisfaction because it
makes our future seem better than our present.
It is my sincere my hope and wish for you that you start creating your dream life - a life
rooted in your wonderful past but lived in the present - always.
Warmest wishes,
Dr. Ogi Ressel