I was introduced to The Secret about 5 years ago when a boss of mine had us all watch it during a meeting. I took everything in like a sponge and I remember people saying after the film was over “Wow, that was so stupid!” They didn’t believe. But for me that was the moment my entire life had changed.

I begun living The Secret from there on out but overtime I realized nothing was really happening. What was I doing wrong? I was thinking good thoughts and focusing on all the positivity in my life! I didn’t understand at that time that you can’t WISH for something to happen. You cannot project your mind into a better future. If you think that being positive and happy is going to get you somewhere you are wrong. YOU ARE HERE.

The reason to be positive and happy is because of the PRESENT moment. Not the future or the past.

Since I was in 11th grade I have had a weight problem. I was in a terrible car accident in freshman year of high school where 2 of my best friends almost died (I was driving) and after that my life did a 180.

I didn’t feel good about myself for what I did. I hated myself. Depression and anxiety started to take over my life and I wouldn’t leave my house. I stole alcohol from my parents and would drink in the basement alone every weekend when all my friends were out having fun. I couldn’t shake it. I gained about 50 lbs. One day I thought this isn’t what life is. And I claimed my life back and decided that whatever happened was done. Me feeling bad about it and torturing myself and my body wasn’t helping me so I started to live again.

The weight was still there and I had tried every diet and everything to get back to my normal self. Nothing worked. Why? Because every day I would wake up thinking I had a problem with my weight. I would count and obsess over what I ate constantly in my head. If it was a good “eating day” I felt good, and if bad, well I felt bad. Most were bad.

After 5 years of obsession with this I decided it wasn’t getting me anywhere. I babysat my nephew one day and I just observed how a 3 year old lived. He played all day in a state of pure joy. When he was hungry, he ate whatever he wanted and then went back to his toys and completely immersed himself in them.

I saw something in him that day that I had lost. I lost my presence for the moment. I had lost that joy of just BEING here and taking in the joy that moment had brought to me. I was too worried about the future or regretful about the past.

I went home that night and lay in my bed awake but still just feeling the joy of being, the joy of being alive. It made me see that, that moment was all I ever really had. The past is just a past moment of the present and the future is just a vision of what could be. They don’t exist. I create my future by what I am thinking and feeling NOW. Which brought me full circle back to The Secret and this time it was like an epiphany. It all made sense.

Now I am happy, thin and grateful for this moment. I don’t think about anything in the future or past much anymore. I try to live each MOMENT like my nephew. Free of worry or hope or fear of what has been or could be. I learned to live.

Thank you