Mind of Snaps - Positivity Podcast | Ep. 55 - "STAY Here Now"

Welcome to "STAY Here Now" - the 55th Episode of the Mind of Snaps Positivity Podcast!

This is a special podcast series that is separate from the regular Mind of Snaps Podcast, with a new release (typically) posted every Monday for Patreon supporters!

It is my goal to create as much positive & encouraging content as I can during these intense, uncertain times we're faced with. 2020 was so much more than anyone expected it to be, and nobody should have to take it on alone. The only way I can continue to do so, is with your help.

To help, you can: become a patron, subscribe to me on Twitch, you can send a tip which I'll turn into an investment... or you can simply share my content on social media. Every little bit helps me be able to continue to create the podcasts and other mindfulness & positivity based content in the future.

The format of these podcasts are forever evolving to reflect current events from personal to global, so I hope you are enjoying them. Please reach out to me if you have any suggestions!

Hang in there, friends... we're all in this together.

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You can find new Positivity Podcasts on Patreon every Monday; Patreon archive positivity podcast episodes are available free for the community every Thursday at 4pm on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, & Stitcher!

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Jessy (Mind Of Snaps / SheSnaps)

www.MindofSnaps.com

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Transcript

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Good morning. Happy Monday, my friends. I hope you all had a nice and safe Halloween weekend. And I hope that you're all having a nice start to your Monday so far, we are in a new month yet again. And for us Americans, I know this month is an especially important one. And the days ahead are certainly going to impact the future of our country and the world in a massive way. Even though, I'm sure some of you are feeling frightened by the direction things are going, it's important that we all do what we can to keep ourselves focused on what we can do, rather than just what we can't. Things are intense right now, to say the absolute fucking least. But us staying in a state of hyper vigilance will only burn us out. We want to try to be as present as we can. So we can maintain our focus on what is important. Try to remember to take social media and news breaks when you can. But definitely don't hide from the importance of what's happening now. Do what you can to stop and take some deep breaths as often as possible. And remind yourself that whatever happens, we are truly in this together as a community. And we will all do whatever we can to keep each other safe. If you've got a place to live and food in your fridge, please remember that you are safe in this moment. So do what you can to stay in that moment in this moment in each moment. That actually brings us right into what I wanted to talk about with you this week. This past week, I had a simple quote from ROM das, which is also the title of one of his most iconic books be here now as my stream title for several days in a row. I think it felt right to keep it up there as a simple reminder to ground ourselves in the present moment. Whenever we notice ourselves. Excuse me, whenever we notice ourselves being captivated by the thoughts of the past or future, especially when we find ourselves stuck in fear based thinking about what might be coming next. We really do suffer more in our imaginations than we do in reality sometimes. I remember hearing ROM das talk about how on his walk to meet his guru for the first time ever. He was with a man and I cannot think of his name. But he was with a man who had already known Maharaja for some time, and he was so excited to see him. So they had this long walk together. And all along this walk ROM das, who at the time was still Richard Alpert, disgraced former Harvard educator. At the time, he kept trying to engage his guide in conversation. He'd ask questions about when they'd be arriving. And the response he'd get would would be just be here now. Then he tried to tell him stories about his exciting past life and all of his travels and adventures. And he would get the same response. Be Here Now. At one point, ROM das asked the man something to the extent of, but if I'm only focused on the now How will I ever be able to prepare for my future, and the man responded with be here now and by the time then becomes now you'll be prepared. That quote has really stuck out to me and I reflect on it often, you've probably heard me talk about it from time to time, maybe in these podcasts, maybe in stream, who knows. But it really helps me a great deal. I personally have had to deal with some unexpected challenges in the past year. Some of you may remember some of them others may not be familiar, but really the story itself isn't what's important here. What's important is that there were times where I had very legitimate reasons to be concerned for my future, about what might be coming next. But that quote, really helped me stay grounded. When I would catch myself going into those future focused scenarios, I would stop and bring myself back. Take a moment to trust my own resilience and ability to overcome obstacles. And remind myself that if I am able to stay present, and care for myself, even just reasonably well, I really do have faith that even if I were to face some of the things I feared, I felt I would be prepared for them and they would lose a lot of their power over me and my mind. Now as we approach what may be the most important election of some of our lifetimes, I've spent even more time considering just how powerfully resilient human beings Are, especially with the right mindset. When I find myself starting to go off into my fears of what could be coming next, I do just what I did this past summer. And I bring myself back to the present. And I remind myself that I have confidence in my ability to get through just about anything. I mean, all of us, all of us have a lifetime of experience in this respect. I think we've all encountered circumstances that we thought would break us in the past. But here we are now surviving in some of y'all are even thriving. Even if what you've endured has been hard on you, or continues to be hard on you. Don't let that convince you that you are anything less than a total fucking badass. Life can be so immensely challenging at times. But if you're still here with us, you have so much to be proud of yourself for so much. I started thinking again about the book Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl, a survivor of Nazi concentration camps. So many of his quotes and stories really resonated with me, including the way that he would describe how people were able to survive such horrific conditions, and even maintain a sense of humor in some cases. In fact, they deliberately prioritize humor. They challenged each other to maintain humor in their lives because they knew the benefit. He also described the way that a lack of hope could impact a person's body in a certain way in a significant way. Here's a quote from his book regarding just that. Those who know how close the connection is between the state of mind of a man, his courage and hope or lack of them, and the state of immunity of his body will understand that the sudden loss of hope and courage can have a deadly effect. Victor watched people give up and then saw the impact of their lack of faith in a different future. He saw the impact that that would have on their bodies and minds. He watched them get lost in despair, never to return again. I've seen this in my own life. I've talked to you about this during the mental health streams I do. Having some faith in our ability to have a different future is so important. Even when things seem to be heading in the worst direction, we must not lose hope. We must stay focused on caring for ourselves and for each other. We must remember that the future can still change for the better. Even if our mental projections don't show it as a likely scenario. We must still remember that the present moment holds so much richness and beauty, even in what seemed to be dire circumstances. If we are still here, still breathing, it means there's still a chance for the future to change for the better for us and for humanity as a whole. The more we keep ourselves present, the more we can do for ourselves and for those who we love. Remember again, if we are able to be here now, by the time then becomes now we will be prepared. A present person can still prepare for the further future. It does not mean just sit and ground yourself by doing nothing. It just means be with what you are doing as you're doing it. This week, it might be in your best interest to stock up on some essentials, it might be a good idea to make sure you've got gas in the tank. And if you live in a major city or a heavily populated area, maybe it's a good idea to create an evacuation plan for yourself in case things get out of hand. But once you've made your plan, do what you can to trust in it and trust in yourself. You are a strong intelligent person, you are capable of making plans to ensure your own safety and or the safety of your family. If you're responsible for others in such a manner. You will struggle with this. If you are only thinking out of a fear based mindset. Rather than grounding yourself in the present and then doing what you can to think logically about what you can do next for yourself. If you are struggling to make plans, do not hesitate to reach out. This community has your back. We will all do what we can to help take a few deep breaths hit us up in discord DM me privately, whatever, I will do whatever I can to send out a request for assistance if you hit me up if you've heard all of this and recognize that it doesn't really apply to you that you're feeling good and balanced already great. Or maybe if you're not based in the US, please use that lovely present mind of yours. Please use that distance from this current mess we're facing, to be there for others as much as you can. Many of our friends are afraid right now. And for good reason. Do what you can to help them without intruding on their space. Ask what you can do to help them if anything, send them a kind message, let them know they don't need to respond, but that you're here if they need you. We've got three weekends in a row of video chats coming out for all of you lovely patrons. So we will have other ways to stay in touch through those as well. But really, like if you're struggling, my friends, please know that we are here for you. We want to see you in those chats. Even if you're having a hard time. I mean, really, we want to see you especially if you're having a hard time so we can remind you that you're not alone. It's okay to not be okay. Truly it is. Do your best to remember Shane's sleep hydration, air diet, exercise and stillness. So you can keep as much balance in your life as possible. But if you struggle with any of those habits, don't kick your own ass about it. If you're having an especially hard time, be kind to yourself. This year has been an awful one for so many. If you are struggling, it is completely understandable. And it's okay. We're here for you if you're calm and peaceful, and we're here for you if you're dealing with severe depression, anxiety or mourning or trauma or any other pains you have, we love the whole you every bit of the package, the happy and the sad. So in the days ahead, do what you can to create good grounding routines and plans for yourself. Look up more grounding exercises, eat well sleep well do what you can for you. Remember to be here now. And trust that whatever happens you are capable of overcoming and you won't be doing it alone. Please remember that you are loved. You have value. You are not alone. We are here for you in this moment and every moment after. Now go take some deep breaths, maybe meditate and then calmly make whatever plans you need to make for yourself or for your family. You got this? We got this. Let's be there for ourselves and each other this week. And every week after as we remember that even in the most scary circumstances, we can still manifest dope shit. Stay safe friends, stay present. I love you all so very much. And I'm here for you. Hit me up if you need anything. Take care of yourself today.