Recently, I attended a presentation and the person commented, “The only now we have is this one right here.” I began to use this with students. In the busyness of life, what do I want to remember? If I am present, right here, now, I can see the extraordinary aspects of the world I live in the now. I bring my mind into the room and it joins the shell, my body. William Stafford shared this Zen-like view of the world in this poem.
Starting here, what do you want to remember?
How sunlight creeps along a shining floor?
What scent of old wood hovers, what softened
sound from outside fills the air?
Will you ever bring a better gift for the world
than the breathing respect that you carry
wherever you go right now? Are you waiting
for time to show you some better thoughts?
than the breathing respect that you carry
wherever you go right now? Are you waiting
for time to show you some better thoughts?
When you turn around, starting here, lift this
new glimpse that you found; carry into evening
all that you want from this day. This interval you spent
reading or hearing this, keep it for life –
new glimpse that you found; carry into evening
all that you want from this day. This interval you spent
reading or hearing this, keep it for life –
What can anyone give you greater than now,
starting here, right in this room, when you turn around?
starting here, right in this room, when you turn around?
Teacher as Transformer 
Reblogged this on James' World 2.
Thanks Ivon 🙂
You are welcome Simon.
Yes..the importance of the present or the ‘now’ cannot be overemphasized enought- most of us either dwell in the past or are too preoccupied to think about the future- as a result the present gets lost somewhere..easier said than done …
It is much easier said than done. Thank you for the wonderful comment Swati.
Reblogged this on Waiting for the Karma Truck and commented:
Once again Ivon (Teacher As Transformer @ ivonprefontaine.com) startles my thoughts and makes me pause…
Thank you Mimi.
I think the appreciation is mine, Ivon – thank YOU.
This is beautiful ~ it’s what I like to remind others as well ~ we only have today so enjoy The Presents of Presence. P.S. Mimi sent me! 🙂
Thank you to both you and Mimi. I am glad you found your way here. It has enabled me to find my way to your blog.
Wow, Ivon, my favourite line in this is, ‘Are you waiting for time to show you some better thoughts?’ Thank you for another moving piece.
You are welcome Yaz. I am glad you enjoyed.
Thanks for the wonderful reminder to be mindful of the here and now. I’m often guilty of looking for what’s coming next and missing what’s in front of me.
Thank you Stephany. I find myself guilty of looking into the future or peering into the past. It is human nature.
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If more people lived in the moment there would be fewer “keeping up with the Jones'” and competing mentality. I have found that yoga really helps me do this and I actually try to just listen to my foot sounds when I run. This is more difficult then it seems, I get most of my best insights while I exercise.
The nice thing about Yoga is the quiet it brings. I find creativity in the quiet of meditation or yoga or nature walks.
Very nice Ivon. Stafford is one of my favorite. Bill
Thank you Bill. I enjoy his poetry. There is way he has with words that speaks to me.
The magic of now is what we can achieve now.
There is no now like the now. I had an opportunity to hear Jack Kornfield present and he repeat that point several times. We need to be present in the now.
Many decades ago in the New Zealand Navy was a large office called the ‘Central Regulating Office’ (the CRO). It was staffed by ogres, fiends, and monsters of the worst possible kind (senior NCOs responsible for enforcing regulations) and the sign they should have had over the IN door could well have read “Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter Here”.
So~?
—wait, dammit I haven’t finished yet—
The sign on the way out simply did read “DO IT NOW” … and that was the one thing that should be tattooed across the back of the hand of every person wishing to get ahead in life.
You do well, but do the tykes actually listen?
I have students who come back and remind me of things we talked about. In the moment, they choose not to hear, but over time they do listen.
I wish you a happy first day of spring
stefan maxima
I hope the weather will continue to improve. We have more snow in the forecast, but they have been wrong before.
Happy first day of spring Stefan.
This is great, Ivon. You’ll know how much it means to me because of my post before the current one – a short video poem ‘These ruinations of people’.
Yep, I get it, absolutely. Really good to pass it on to your students too. No-one ever said as much to me in teens.
Thank you Noeleen. We need to spend time in the busyness of the world with our youngsters. They are the future and the present.