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I wish I could take credit for this, but I can’t. One of the participants on our yamabushi program this week said one of the most insightful things I’d ever heard:

Focus on the mountain in the distance, and it’s easy to slip up. Focus on the step in front of you, and you’ll forever be moving forward.

Lofty goals are a good thing.

Putting your focus into something grand that can push us forward should be welcomed. But sometimes we miss the forest for the trees. Sometimes we focus too much on the big picture that we forget the little steps we should be taking in the meantime to get us closer to that big picture in the first place.

As in Zen, yamabushi try their damndest to be in the now. I’ve said it before, but it’s impossible to not be in the now when you’re walking along a precipice. It’s impossible to not be in the now when one wrong move could prove fatal.

Being in the now is focusing on where you are going to place your foot.

It’s putting your energy into navigating the world in a way that pushes you forward, rather than simply dreaming the big dreams.

The thing is, you don’t have to be walking along a precipice to feel in the now. You don’t have to go through the huge ordeal of becoming a yamabushi or a Zen monk. All you need to do is take a moment or two to take in the world around you.

Looking back, I have had two extremely important teachers in my life.

The first teacher was at intermediate school. What made this teacher special was that they would take us through guided meditations. In that moment, our teacher felt guided meditation was more important than the agenda for that day.

And they were right.

All we did was sit in our chairs, and use our senses to feel the world around us. Feel the weight of our bottoms on our chairs, our feet on the ground, our hands on our laps, and listen for the sounds surrounding us.

A reminder to be in the now is exactly the kind of thing you need to check yourself, and to make sure you are not only moving, but moving in the right direction.

My second teacher came at another important crossroads. I was learning Chinese and Japanese at university at the same time (not exactly a good idea), and it was the end of term which meant tests for both of these languages to go with a mountain of assignments and exams to prepare for.

I was completely overwhelmed. I was so stressed I remember having a breakdown in the cafeteria of all places.

So I talked to someone who turned out to be the perfect teacher.

All she did was sit me down, have me close my eyes, and take me away on a journey in my head. A journey to a far-away beach, where I can still feel the wind on my face, and the coconut tree on my back.

The lesson here?

They can never reach the deepest depths of your mind. Only you can. And when you’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed, that’s where you should look to first.

Take a rest. Close your eyes. Feel the weight of your bottom on your seat, your feet on the floor, your hands on the desk, hear the sounds around you. Imagine a far-away beach with the perfect weather, coconut trees, and the perfect breeze.

And simply be in the moment.

That’s all we ask of you. And that’s all you should ask of yourself.

Still keep the mountain in the back of your mind. But do it in the knowledge that the only way to get there is by taking the next step.

The one right in front of you.

This article from the Kiwi Yamabushi newsletter got more than 1,000 reads, so I decided to put it here for everyone. Get articles just like this in your inbox by signing up here. Paid subscribers get priority access and access to the full archive of over 100 articles.