Joy is here

Ten years ago, I was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor. A few years after, with adenomyosis. Both illnesses disrupted every aspect of my life, straining and stressing every part of me.

But here's one thing I discovered: our happiness hinges on our capacity to pay attention to the present.

At one point, it dawned on me that no matter what happens, all we ever need to face is this present moment. Nothing more than that, nothing greater than '"now."

So I began to let go of the 'what ifs' and focused on living with awareness, resting in the now even though it was hard. I started appreciating every second that unfolded. I stopped squandering time, deciding to awaken to the fullness of my experience, however it appeared. Through it all, I realised how futile it was to worry about the future or ruminate about the past because life always ever unfolds in the now, whether we like it or not.

And though I found that coming into the now does require a little practice and intentionality, it became clear to me that simply dwelling in awareness inundated my life with profound joy.