“Caretake this moment.

Immerse yourself in its particulars.

Respond to this person, this challenge, this deed.

Quit evasions.

Stop giving yourself needless trouble. It is time to really live; to fully inhabit the situation you happen to be in now.

You are not some disinterested bystander.

Exert yourself.”

Epictetus

Epictetus uses very strong action words here:

Caretake.

Immerse.

Respond.

Quit.

Stop.

Exert.

His words implore us to go beyond just thinking…

And all together, they reflect the four pillars of Power In Pause:

Repose

Reflect

Reset

Respond

The statement “Quit evasions” brought me to ask where and why certain evasions are in my life…

And Procrastination popped again to the surface…

So I immersed myself there for a few moments…

Again!

This topic has appeared here before but so many of us deal (or don’t deal!) with it so often that I felt moved to bring it up once more.

Procrastination can occur due to fear of failure, being overly focused on perfectionism, discomfort with the unknown, missing skill sets, lack of energy, depression…

There are more reasons (and helpful solutions) that can easily be found online but today I am choosing Fear of Failure, as I feel it is the most prevalent root for many of us that put off doing things.

The belief that we are “not enough” or “less than” may show up at work, at home, in our relationships, at the grocery store…

It follows us around…

And it is debilitating.

So let’s address “less than”.

“Less than WHAT?”

“Less than WHO?”

And just

“WHERE did such views of myself originate?”

If I can take the time to dig down to the root, it is easier to see and then recognize it, especially should it appear again.

Just be aware:

The older it is, the more often it will appear…at least at first. Patience and compassion for yourself is a must…so don’t “evade” those either!

It is sometimes a lengthy path to get to the sources of our “evasions”…but ALWAYS well worth the trip.

The very fact that they exist becomes a gift for each of us…

The moment we become aware of them.

“It is time to really live; to fully inhabit the situation you happen to be in now.”

I truly want to be fully “immersed in the particulars”, for this is where true freedom resides!

Today’s motto?

“Evade…but in seeing the evasion, we must then choose to conquer!”

Today’s actions?

See the evasion.

Be grateful for its presence.

Courageously look underneath, keeping compassion close.

And then choose to “respond” with an internal change, however small.

Now watch as the “needless troubles” begin to disappear.