Stop Chasing, Start Being: The Gift of This Moment
The Illusion of Seeking and the Power of Presence Have you ever found yourself chasing something? An idea, a feeling, a moment you once had that felt profound, almost mysterious. Maybe it was during meditation, a spiritual experience, or even a fleeting sense of clarity and connection. You try to recreate it, thinking, If I could just feel that again, everything would make sense.
But the more you chase, the more it slips away.
I recently came across a video where a man shared his experience of spiritual awakening. In his meditation practice, he found himself entering what he called “the void.” A space of emptiness that felt both overwhelming and whole. The first time he experienced it, he described bursts of light and a profound sense of completeness. It was hard for him to explain, but the moment stayed with him, and he spent every meditation after that trying to recreate it.
But the more he tried to recreate that moment, the further away it seemed to get. This brought me to something Carolyn Myss once said:
“I would remind people that this day of your life will never come again. Do not use one day of your life carelessly. It will never come again. You’ll never see the person you’re sitting across from in that light or in that way. You will never see the sunset twice. This day will never come again.”
Her words struck me as a reminder that every moment is irreplaceable. When we chase after something, we overlook the singular beauty of what’s unfolding right now. We lose sight of the uniqueness of this breath, this interaction, this day.
The Paradox of Chasing Emptiness
The man’s experience resonated deeply because it reflects a universal truth: the more we chase something, the more elusive it becomes. Chasing creates resistance. In the act of chasing, we are no longer present; we are projecting ourselves into the future or clinging to the past The emptiness he described wasn’t something to chase.
It wasn’t separate from him. In fact, the void was him. The wholeness he felt didn’t come from achieving or doing anything.It came from surrendering to the moment, from being present with what is.
How often do we do the opposite? We meditate or reflect with the expectation of feeling a certain way, or we seek answers with the hope of recreating a transformative moment. But the truth is, those moments can’t be recreated. They arise when we let go of the need for control and allow ourselves to simply be.
Wholeness Within the Void
When the man spoke of his meditation, he described the void as chasing him just as much as he was chasing it. That imagery stuck with me.
“What if the emptiness we fear isn’t something outside of us but a space within us?
What if, instead of avoiding or trying to control it, we accepted it?”
The void isn’t a lack; it’s spaciousness. It’s where we meet ourselves completely, without distraction or expectation. It’s where light emerges. Not because we force it but because it was always there, waiting to be seen.
Letting Go of the Chase
In trying to recreate the past, the man became disconnected from the present. But the void he longed to find wasn’t a place or a moment outside himself. It was the spaciousness of now. The same now that Myss reminds us will never come again.
“What if we stopped chasing and instead surrendered to the present?
What if we allowed ourselves to see this moment as it is?
Whole, fleeting, and alive?”
Each breath, each moment, is an invitation to return to yourself. Not to chase, but to embrace. As she says, “This day of your life will never come again.” Everything you need is already here, waiting for you to see it.
Be Here Now
What would happen if you stopped chasing? Instead of trying to recreate a feeling or achieve enlightenment, you simply allowed yourself to be? How can you accept the uniqueness of today, knowing it will never come again? What would it feel like to surrender to the present moment, even if it feels uncomfortable? Where in your life are you chasing a feeling or moment, and how might you let go of the chase?
Closing Reflection
Each moment offers its own completeness. Each breath its own wholeness. You don’t need to chase or strive. You need only to be here now. Let the void teach you. Let it remind you that wholeness isn’t something you achieve.
It’s something you are, in all you create in every moment.
