Michelle Geromel posted, "Dear friend, Not even I know how a dream will come true, until it does. But if you just keep showing up, they always do. Big-Love-Hug, ~The Universe" (source: tut.com)

I told her that being present is challenging because life has so many "be here now" distractions.

To which she responded...

Whenever she feels scattered, she looks in the mirror and asks herself where she is.

Sometimes she has to ask herself a few times to bring herself back to the present, but it always works:

1. Breathe.
2. Let go.
3. Reflect.

Reflection always works...

Perhaps that's why reflection creates identity...

To be here now, engage your reflection.

"Find joy and peace in this very moment."

Be grateful for every breath.

Life is... delicious ambiguity.

Character is destiny. Everything will be okay in the end. So...

Whenever you are knocked down, get up.

Simplify.

We close this note with a score of reflections over the last month, reflected in my statuses on Facebook and Twitter...

"Love is the condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own." ~ Robert Heinlein (via Ashley Merkut)

"Stop thinking about life and start living it." ~ @PauloCoelho (via@IlzeSuna)

"Truth is, everybody is going to hurt you. You just gotta find the ones worth suffering for..." ~ Bob Marley (via me)

"The art of being wise is knowing what to overlook." (via Teresa Pedraza)

"Let your soul stand cool and composed before a million universes." ~ Walt Whitman (via Altaire Gural)

"Life gives answers in three ways... It says Yes and gives you what you want; it says No and gives you something better; it says Wait and gives you the Best!" (via[email protected])

"If we wait for the moment when everything, absolutely everything is ready, we shall never begin." ~ Ivan Turgenev (via Persia Pele)

"If everything seems under control -- you're just not going fast enough." ~ Mario Andretti (via Marianne Borenstein)

"I am a professional guitar player. People pay me to stop." ~ Bob Cleveland (via me)

"Sue Sylvester has hourly flare-ups of burning, itchy, highly contagious talent..." ~ GLEE (via[email protected])

"Twitter is really going through a detox right now, and it's trying to get some of the toxins out of its system." ~ Michael Abbott (via the Merc, still doing better than Yahoo)

"Violence is never the answer, unless the question is, 'What is never the answer?'" ~ Cleveland Brown (via me)

"Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing." ~ Mother Teresa (via[email protected])

"It is not difficult to love good people. It is difficult to love people as they are." ~ Juris Rubenis (via[email protected])

"Death is not sad; the sad thing is that most people don't really live at all." ~ Peaceful Warrior (via Amie Valenzuela)

"Goodbyes are not forever. Goodbyes are not the end. They simply mean I'll miss you Until we meet again!" (via[email protected])

"Even if you work hard and make wise choices, you still need a little luck. Never forget." (via me)

"Worry is wasting today's time to clutter up tomorrow's opportunities with yesterday's troubles." (via Faith Thomas)

"Find joy and peace in this very moment." ~ Thich Nhat Hanh (via@NikiConnor)

"the yogic breath (in thru the nose, out thru the mouth) in sanskrit is 'ham sa' which means 'that i am'... beautiful..." (via samantha graham)

"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment beforestarting to improve the world." ~ Anne Frank (via thedogs.com)

"Ancient master says: If you like everything, then you like nothing. But if you love everything, you have the world." ~ Kurt Thams

"Three things in human life are important: The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. And the third is to be kind." ~ Henry James

Whoever is happy will make others happy too. ~Anne Frank

http://pandawhale.com/post/36067/whoever-is-happy-will-make-others-happy-too-anne-frank

"The face of the unknown, hidden beyond the universe would appear on the mirror of your perception." - Rumi

Source: http://twitter.com/carolinefitness/status/16833565120

"Dance is your pulse, your heartbeat, your breathing. It's the rhythm of your life. It's the expression in time and movement, in happiness, joy, sadness and envy." - Jacques D'amboise

For more, see: http://ifindkarma.posterous.com/there-are-shortcuts-to-happiness-and-dancing

Love is when you open your heart to pain.

http://ifindkarma.posterous.com/love-is-when-you-open-your-heart-to-pain

"Pain is the way to bring our full attention back to the only 'thing' that truly matters. THIS. PRESENT. MOMENT."

Source: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=431026354145

Yesterday is in the tomb. Today is in the womb.

http://ifindkarma.posterous.com/enlightenment

Five lessons on how to treat people:

http://itstimtime.tumblr.com/post/1331369369/five-lessons-on-how-to-treat-people

That it will never come again is what makes life so sweet.

http://ifindkarma.posterous.com/omar-ahmad-i-miss-you

"Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment." ~Buddha

Be who you are, as hard as you can.

http://ifindkarma.posterous.com/be-who-you-are-as-hard-as-you-can

Could writing about your values help you lose weight? Reflection has power.

http://www.healthcanal.com/life-style-fitness/25108-Exercise-Good-for-Your-Wa...

https://twitter.com/ifindkarma/status/156853425160732673

Tips to learn to live in the present: T. Hotsenpiller

1) Begin to make healthy daily choices. The reason you look to the future is because you can “make believe” how it looks. In reality the future is a reflection of your present day-by-day decisions. An exercise I do with my clients is to make a list of healthy daily habits and check them off throughout the day.

2) Look for the reason you are here. You have the ability to make someone’s day special. From a smile to holding the door open for someone, your existence matters. See yourself as vital to society. You can extend love to the loveless. I make it my job to improve three people’s lives a day. Begin to live in the now by enjoying today.

3) Breathe! As a personal trainer and Pilates instructor, I have learned and experienced the value of deep breathing. This skill will release tension and add serenity to your daily life.

4) Make a thanksgiving list. This exercise has opened many of my client’s eyes to all the blessings they currently have. Your past may haunt you, and the future overwhelms you, but your thanksgiving list will hold you secure in today.

5) Just let go. We allow so many things to anger, frustrate and control us. Learn to “Just Let Go”! When we release the things that try to destroy our joy, we win. A few ways to deal with the pressure of your day are:

a. Walk away from the conflict–stay away long enough for your rational mind to return.

b. Count to 20, then ask yourself if this really matters that much.

c. Breathe and smile. :-)

d. Visualize peace and serenity. Keep positive quotes near you at all times to reflect upon positive truths.

“Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. And today? Today is a gift. That’s why we call it the present”. ~Babatunde Olatunji

Make peace with your past so it doesn't spoil your present.

http://ifindkarma.tumblr.com/post/18564422765/make-peace-with-your-past-so-it-doesnt-spoil-your

The 12 Laws of Karma:

http://pandawhale.com/post/539/the-12-laws-of-karma