Living in the Here and Now

Inspired by a wonderful soul I had the pleasure of meeting during a “Happiness Seminar.” To my surprise, we became mirrors for each other’s creativity.

When I painted this picture, thank you, Ioanna Eracleous (@time2clay), for your inspiration.. I never imagined I could be the spark that would lead to the creation of a poem.

A poem that found its way into my hands at just the right time, even before I realized how deeply it resonated with my life.

I'll let you read the poem first before I explain why it fits so perfectly with where I am right now.

"Living in the Here and Now" - Laura Schumann 2025

Living in the Here and Now

How often our gaze drifts far away,

to times long gone.

Clinging to moments of warmth,

we still carry in our hearts.

Only to – in the very next breath –

turn fully toward the future.

How should, can, must, and will

this ever come to an end?

With all this back and forth,

we so often miss the chance

to be truly in the MOMENT,

rather than always feeling so far away.

Keep our eyes wide open,

just like the heart.

And shape the HERE,

with joy – and even pain.

That’s my wish for all of us,

who far too often drift away.

Let "SOON" and "SOMEDAY" fade,

and live in the "HERE" and "NOW."

Laura Schumann 2025

"Living in the here and now" .. how hard can that be for someone who's deeply immersed in spirituality… and also happens to be an artist?

Well...

A spontaneous glance at my old journal, which I’ve been writing since 2018, showed me something: I’ve basically been chasing something the entire time.

A deep longing that has steered my whole life. A firmly rooted desire that’s influenced every decision I’ve ever made.

If you know me, have read my recent posts, or heard me on my recent podcast appearance, this won’t come as a surprise. But in case you haven’t figured it out yet, maybe these questions will help, the ones that keep showing up in my journal entries:

"Who am I?" ,"What am I doing with my life?" ,"Why am I here?", "Why am I afraid to figure out, who i truely am?", "Does that mean, i don´t know ´me´ enough, or I don´t know the real ´me´?"

So many questions...

I've spent years searching for answers. Working on myself. Trying to grow.

And in doing so, I sometimes forgot to simply pause. To breathe in and out deeply.

"How is this all supposed to end?How can it end?How must it end?How will it end?"

Do you feel the same way sometimes?

Have you ever thrown a stone into the lake of existence and watched as the ripples of eternal questions keep expanding?

How do you deal with that? Do you wait until the water becomes still again? Or are you already tossing in the next stone?

And what if the ripples simply dissolve in the rain?

I’d love to spend just one day by the water.

No stones.

No ripples.

No rain.

No questions.

No search.

"That’s what I wish for all of us who’ve been ghosted too often by peace.

Let go of "soon" and "someday" –

and live in the "here" and "now."