Hello and welcome.
I'm Mark Rowland.
Thank you for being here.
If you are listening to this,
Then perhaps there is a part of you that is tired of endlessly postponing things that matter to you.
And not only the big things in life,
But the smaller moments too.
The message you nearly send and then delete.
That walk you keep meaning to take.
The creative idea sitting quietly in the background of your mind.
Or the invitation you almost say yes to before hesitation kicks in.
Many people move through life carrying the weight of sentences beginning with I wish I had.
I wish I had tried.
I wish I had gone.
I wish I had trusted myself sooner.
I wish I had allowed myself to experience more of my own life whilst it's still happening.
But there is another way to move through life.
Not perfectly or fearlessly.
But with a growing willingness to participate.
To step toward moments instead of constantly stepping away from them.
So,
In this meditation,
We are exploring what changes when we begin choosing more moments that eventually become I'm glad I did.
So take a slow breath in.
And gently breathe out.
Let's begin.
Allow your body to settle.
Feeling the support beneath you.
Noticing the natural rhythm of your breath.
There's no need to force the breath to become deeper or slower.
Just simply notice it arriving and leaving in it's own natural way.
Feel the weight of your body softening slightly.
Your shoulders loosening.
Your jaw unclenching.
The tiny muscles around the eyes relaxing.
As the body settles,
Notice the movement of the mind.
Thoughts arriving.
Plans,
Memories,
Questions.
Allow all of it to move naturally.
Without any need to stop it.
You are not trying to become empty.
You are simply becoming more present.
Now,
Imagine yourself standing at the beginning of a quiet path.
Early morning light stretches gently out across the ground ahead of you.
The air feels cool and fresh.
There is no rush here.
No pressure to become a different person overnight.
Only a path continuing forward.
One step at a time.
As you begin slowly walking,
You notice small doorways appearing beside the path.
Each doorway representing a moment of your life.
A possibility.
A choice.
A beginning.
Some doorways feel really exciting.
Others may bring uncertainty immediately.
Notice how quickly the mind tries to pull away from those unfamiliar experiences.
Saying,
Maybe later.
Maybe when I feel more confident.
Maybe when I know exactly how it will turn out.
And yet,
So much of life is lived before certainty arrives.
So many of our meaningful moments begin while we still are unsure.
As you continue walking,
Allow yourself to notice where hesitation appears in your own life.
Perhaps there are conversations you usually avoid having.
Opportunities you seem to repeatedly postpone.
Creative ideas waiting quietly in the background.
Ways of living that part of you longs for,
While another part remains cautious and unconvinced.
Now imagine seeing yourself further along that path.
A future version of you.
Older.
Wiser.
More aware of how quickly moments pass by.
And this future version of you is not at all focused on perfection.
They are not thinking about whether every choice worked flawlessly.
Instead,
They are remembering the moments they allowed themselves to just fully experience.
The moments that they showed up.
The moments that they participated.
Perhaps they remember taking the trip they nearly cancelled.
Starting the project that they kept postponing.
Walking into the room they almost avoided.
Speaking honestly.
Resting when their body needed care.
And allowing themselves to begin before feeling completely ready.
Notice the feeling on their face as they look back upon these moments.
It's not pride or relief that life became perfect.
Just a warm understanding that these experiences became part of a life genuinely lived.
And now let one thing,
Small,
Rise naturally in your awareness.
One thing your life may be quietly asking you for.
Not the biggest thing,
But just one honest step.
One movement forward.
Imagine yourself saying yes to that moment.
Gently,
Not forcefully.
Not trying to transform everything all at once.
Just simply allowing yourself to participate in your own life.
Just a little bit more fully.
And now hear these words arising softly within you.
I'm glad I did.
Feel into what happens in the body as those words settle.
I'm glad I went.
I'm glad I tried.
I'm glad I spoke.
I'm glad I allowed myself to live that moment instead of endlessly postponing it.
Life changes slowly.
Choice by choice.
Moment by moment.
Breath by breath.
And so many meaningful memories begin with small acts of willingness that once may be felt uncertain.
Let's take a deeper breath now.
And gently let it go.
Feeling the surface beneath you again.
Notice the room around you.
The temperature in the air.
Any sounds nearby.
Beginning to bring awareness back into the body.
Your hands.
Your feet.
Your face.
Your chest rising and falling with each breath.
And before we close,
Ask yourself.
What is one small thing I no longer want to keep postponing?
Allowing that question to remain open.
No pressure.
Only awareness.
And perhaps,
Sometime soon,
You will find yourself looking back on a moment ahead of you.
And realising.
I'm glad I did.
Thank you so much for meditating with me.
Take your time returning fully.
And when you are ready,
Gently open up your eyes.
I hope you'll join me again soon.
Until then,
Have a beautiful rest of your day.
Go in peace.
Namaste.
