Here and Now:

Life gets busy. Oftentimes we are so busy looking to the next thing, that next event or next work meeting. Maybe it’s the next bill we need to pay, or that pending carpool for the kids. Perhaps it’s the upcoming medical appointment or teacher conference. We are consistently moving forward – ever forward – on to the next thing.

And, it seems to work just fine, or so we think.

Until we stumble.

That dreaded fork in the road. The choice we have to make. The one we didn’t plan – or expect.

And with that, it all comes to a screeching halt. We become frozen. Unable to move. Or, we feel the overwhelming need to run. Flee. Hide. Or, we feel angry. Adversarial. Combative. That dreaded limbic response.

Yet, this drive to push forward. To move past the now, and on to the next thing. That need to avoid the present, moving ever forward. Sometimes ever backward. But never now. From whence does it come?

Trauma.

Grief.

Disappointment.

Anxiety.

Perhaps a combination of things.

But what do we do with it?

Let’s take a step right now. Just one simple step. While you are reading this [and thinking about that laundry, or the dishes, or the project – see you are already on to the next thing!! J]

Take a moment to notice what you might hear in your space. Perhaps the birds outside your window. Maybe the sound of the television or radio. Perhaps the hum of a motor or HVAC system. Maybe your own tinnitus! It’s all good! The fact is – you are noticing! If you are noticing, you are now! And, that is the first step. With that comes the next step, and then the next. And guess what! Soon you are once again moving forward, only in a very different way. A very present way. And, that is a gift!

It is important to note that therapy can also help. Learning how to be present can help decipher the forks in the road. After all, there will consistently be those forks in the road, whether we want them or not. The sooner we can learn to navigate those forks, the sooner we can appreciate the construct of being more present, and begin to embrace – maybe even enjoy our ‘now.’

© 2026: Donna J Clarke/Integrative Pathways Counseling, LLC. All rights reserved.