This past week, I’ve been increasingly aware of my somewhat addictive tendency to abandon the richness of what’s here now and follow the siren song of what could be here tomorrow…It’s that old devil, Restlessness, the fifth hindrance to mindful meditation –and indeed mindful life.

For me, restlessness shows up in two main ways:

1. The Sexy New Idea: Let’s say I’m working on a proposal (for a really transformative offering, by the way), when suddenly a hot new topic beckons me to explore its fresh possibilities. Seductively, it whispers, “Just think about me for a moment, you know you want to…”  And then I’m off spinning up a whole whiteboard of ways that the “996” work culture might inform future-of-work strategies beyond start-ups, while the fully envisioned opportunity waits on my laptop.

2. The Fantasy World: Here, restlessness invites me into a future fantasy world, one with just enough real possibility to make it seem like a valuable use of my time. Most recently, browsing small farms or potential resort properties for the experiential hospitality business I’ll surely have one day, hosting retreats in a magical place with a waterfall and a bird sanctuary and a pine forest and, and, and…Never mind the still new chapter I am in now, I clearly need to spend significant time thoroughly researching and envisioning my nextchapter, regardless of when or if it may come.

What’s underneath all of this? A bent toward the future? That craving to live in my imagination instead of what’s here now? Fear of missing out on a possibility that might lead somewhere amazing?

Thankfully, that’s where the anecdote of mindfulness comes in. And where true abundance lies.

Because when I pause, that’s when I can see that the present is already overflowing, even in this quiet moment. The sunlight shining in just so, the sound of my husband and visiting son joking in the kitchen, my devoted poodle nestled tightly beside me. And so much more to notice and appreciate.

The future may also hold beautiful things, some of which will call for research and planning. But as Thich Nhat Hanh wisely says: