Do you constantly think about the past or fantasize about the future? If you do, you are missing the ONLY way to have a great life – living in the present moment.   When you live in the past or the future:

1. You are always in your head thinking, never just experiencing the moment.

• Thinking your way through life, you have kept the energy above the neck, and it needs to be below the neck, in the heart.
• When the mind is quiet, the heart opens. (In other words, when you stop thinking, you automatically end up in the present moment.)
• Only then, can you experience joy.

   2.  Thinking keeps you one step away from the action.

• The action is the moment, the present moment.  There is nothing else.
• Anything else is either the past or the future.
• Remember, even when you go to the past or the future in your head, you are still thinking in the present moment.

   3.  Fantasizing is different than actually doing something about your dreams.

• There is nothing wrong with planning for the future; that is very different than feeling your life cannot begin until some future date.
• We fantasize instead of do.  Step up, be present, and start doing things that will build your future. 
• If you are WAITING for something to happen before you will feel good, even if that something comes, it will never make you feel good for very long. 

    4.  Always talking about the past keeps you stuck and fearful.

• We keep going to the past because we are immobilized.
• We may rationalize that the future is scary but that is only because we refuse to accept the present moment and make the required changes.
• Memories are wonderful but they do not substitute for a life today, right now.

     5.  Know that the future is nothing more than the present projected forward.

• I often have clients that wonder what the future will be like. I tell them that if they do nothing different than what they are doing today, that what they have at this moment will be their future.
• Look at today.  It’s your present moment but a month ago it was your future in the making. 
• At every moment you are living out your destiny (what you have created in the past) and at the very same moment you are creating your future by how you deal with what has come to you.

In a national competition, Chandra Alexander, MSW, was selected by THE OPRAH MAGAZINE as the Life Coach to deliver a series of coaching sessions to the grand prize winner of their prestigious Toyota Moving Forward contest. She also spent five years on NBC/TV “DAYTIME” giving a weekly “Reality Check”. Chandra has been living and teaching authenticity for the last 30 years and is the founder of Coaching for Authenticity, a place to explore and discover the essence of who you really are.

Do you constantly think about the past or fantasize about the future?  If you do, you are missing the ONLY way to have a great life – living in the present moment.  When you live in the past or the future:

1. You are always in your head thinking, never just experiencing the moment.

•       Thinking your way through life, you have kept the energy above the neck, and it needs to be below the neck, in the heart.  When the mind is quiet, the heart opens.  Only then, can you experience joy.
•       Thinking keeps you one step away from the action.  The action is the moment and anything else is either the past or the future.
•       Remember, even when you are in the past or the future, it is thinking that is taking place in the present moment. (The koan of living in the present moment)

1. Fantasizing is different than actually doing something about your dreams.
   • There is nothing wrong with planning for the future; that is very different than feeling your life cannot begin until some future date.  If you are WAITING for something to happen before you will feel good, what you are waiting for, even if it comes, will never make you feel good for very long.

1. Always talking about the past keeps you stuck and fearful.

•       We keep going to the past because we are immobilized.  We may rationalize that the future is scary but that is only because we refuse to accept the present moment and make the required changes. 
•       Memories are wonderful but they do not substitute for a life today, right now. 

1. Know that the future is nothing more than the present projected forward.

•       I often have clients that wonder what the future will be like.  I tell them that if they do nothing different than what they are doing today, that what they have at this moment will be their future, the same way today was last month your future. 
•       At every moment you are living out your destiny (what you have created in the past) and at the very same moment you are creating your future by how you deal with what has come to you.

In a national competition, Chandra Alexander, MSW, was selected by THE OPRAH MAGAZINE as the Life Coach to deliver a series of coaching sessions to the grand prize winner of their prestigious Toyota Moving Forward contest. She also spent five years on NBC/TV “DAYTIME” giving a weekly “Reality Check”. Chandra has been living and teaching authenticity for the last 30 years and is the founder of Coaching for Authenticity, a place to explore and discover the essence of who you really are.

Rushing a decision is never in our best interests but often we fear the unknown and choose a course before the time is right. Do you know that – When you are confused, it is always best to do nothing?

1. Confusion is an incongruity between what you are thinking and what you are feeling. This is what happens when you are confused.

2. Confusion points the way to a new beginning – It will not allow us to take the familiar path. This is good.

• Don’t get scared when you are confused. Perhaps a new direction is on the forefront, one that will be better suited to you.
• Important here is to honor the intellect but more importantly is to honor the heart. Ask yourself, “What am I really feeling?”
• Unless you can deal honestly with what you have at this moment, you can never move to a new place.

3. Sit on the floor and ask yourself. “What am I feeling?”  

• It gets you out of your head and back in your body where you can feel.
• Sometimes the energy is so much up in the head, you can no longer feel. Sitting on the floor gets the energy back in your body where it belongs.
• Only by feeling can you get out of confusion.

4. Do not make a decision until everything in you says, “Go!”

• Doing something is NOT better than doing nothing.
• Stop wasting valuable time back-tracking which is what you will have to do if you move forward before you are ready and prepared.   
• Feel good, solid and clear before moving forward. Move when EVERYTHING in you says go and not a moment before. This way you are guaranteed success.

In a national competition, Chandra Alexander, MSW, was selected by THE OPRAH MAGAZINE as the Life Coach to deliver a series of coaching sessions to the grand prize winner of their prestigious Toyota Moving Forward contest. She also spent five years on NBC/TV “DAYTIME” giving a weekly “Reality Check”. Chandra has been living and teaching authenticity for the last 30 years and is the founder of Coaching for Authenticity, a place to explore and discover the essence of who you really are.