Where Are You Right Now? — Kim Bielak

I was getting coffee with a fellow therapist several weeks ago and as I attempted to glean some advice about my future she asked me:

“Where are you right now?”

At first I tried to explain that I was still just in my second quarter of grad school, and when that wasn’t the right answer, I tried explaining where I was more mentally and emotionally — pretty happy with where I currently am in life, feeling like I made the right choice switching careers, etc. After several more failed attempts, she asked me one last time, this time with more conviction:

It had taken 10 minutes to remind myself of the fact that I was sipping on a latte on a beautiful outdoor patio while it was 80 degrees in Southern California in the middle of February. I had been so caught up in my future, I almost missed it. And that’s exactly what people are talking about when they repeat things like be present and be here now and live in the moment. It’s easy to pass them over because we here it so much.

We may not be in 80 degree patio weather sipping coffee with a friend anymore, but the chance to do nothing but curl up, make tea and watch Netflix won’t last forever either. We have to bring awareness and find ways to actually enjoy it while it lasts.

Where are you right now?⁠

Kim is a Life and Career Coach and Marriage and Family Therapist Trainee in LA. To learn more, visit kimbielak.com.

Originally published at https://kimbielak.com on April 1, 2020.