Living in the Now

by Marie T. Russell

Procrastination has been a biggie for many of us. Like the proverbial ostrich with his neck in the sand, we have at times put off looking at situations that needed some attention. We have procrastinated until either the situation was in the past and forgotten (we wished) or until it came to a head and could not be put off any longer.

In order to uproot this habit, I feel that we need to take a closer look at its cause. As I sift through the occurrences when I have postponed what I could have dealt with right then, it seems to me that though the justifications (excuses) are numerous the cause must be one. What then is the root cause of procrastination?

Procrastination is only a symptom or manifestation of something else. The most common occurrence for me is when I have tried to avoid situations I didn't know how to handle. Rather than facing the problem and going within and asking for the solution/answer to come -- I did nothing. In instances when I had to tell someone an unpleasant 'something,' I would avoid doing it until the last minute. In other cases where the task at hand seemed boring or unpleasant, I delayed taking action and let it accumulate, i.e., filing, dishes, cleaning up, etc.

When we delay dealing with something, whether it is something as material as washing the dishes or something as intangible as 'unresolved situations' between people, time only serves to compound the error. Our way of dealing with reality, or in some cases avoiding dealing with reality, comes back to haunt us. Lately, many such events have surfaced in my life. In most of them, I had delayed communication on specific issues because my personality self did not want to be in an uncomfortable situation it did not understand how to handle. Yet, what may have started as a small problem can boil up to a major confrontation because it was not dealt with at the beginning. The wound festers and eventually must be dealt with.

I find that instances of procrastination always connect to feeling that we do not know how to deal with something or someone. Yet, that simply boils down to lack of trust in our Self and lack of trust in the Higher Self of others. If we trusted completely in a Higher Power, we would be aware that we are capable of working out, for the Highest Good, all situations that come up. If we trusted in our capability to deal with the issues that present themselves in our life, we would not need to put them off until an indefinite later.

We need to reassure ourselves that the Universe is a good and safe place and presents us with all situations to strengthen and teach us. We need to face the issues that come up in our lives as they come up. If we avoid dealing with them, the Universe will simply keep bringing up similar situations, until we face whatever it is we need to face.

If something occurs in your life, you have the inner resources to deal with it. 'Putting off' looking at events only delays discovering the gift they bring. We can look at the situations we are in and look forward to finding what message and wisdom they bring us.

When we tap in to our inner power we find the right path to take in each situation. Put away doubt and fear, and walk hand in hand with your Higher Self (your inner teacher) and the Universal Power. The guidance is always there. The inner voice of truth is always whispering to us and showing us the direction to take. When we silence the voices of fear, justification, judgment and anger, whether outer or inner- directed, we can hear our Higher Self leading us along the path of joy, love, and understanding. Trusting, acting, and speaking with love and trust in the Ultimate Good will bring us peace within ourselves and with our neighbors.

About The Author

Marie T. Russell is the publisher of InnerSelf Magazine (first published in 1985 as Mighty Natural Magazine). She produced a weekly South Florida radio broadcast, Inner Power, from 1991-1995 which focused on themes such as self-esteem, personal growth, and well-being. Her articles focus on transformation and reconnecting with our inner source of joy and creativity.

Marie's favorite book on this topic: 



"Chop Wood,
Carry Water"
by Rick Fields.
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Complete list of  Marie T. Russell's articles.