The sweet spot is the moment in life when you realize you have arrived and the most interesting part is that you haven’t gone anywhere.
Instead, you finally come home to the present moment.
The here and now.
Nowhere else to be.
But here and now.
Right Here.
Right Now.
The power of the present moment is exemplified in this picture from a retreat I did with a friend years ago.
The speaker asked each participant to share when they felt most at peace.
Each participant shared a different story.
Including when their newborn baby finally slept through the night to when they finally received their promotion at work to when their boyfriend finally proposed.
My answer was unexpectedly simple.
I shared that I felt most at peace in that very moment.
“Nowhere else to be. But here and now.”
Wide Awake to Everything.
I had finally found my sweet spot.
A place where all is well no matter the circumstances.
A place I had been before but failed to recognize.
A place positive psychologists call flow, and alternatively, mindfulness.
A sweet spot that sparkles.
Lights up.
Expands.
Speeds up.
Stands still.
A sweetness I now easily recognize in the course of each day.
That moment when I am wide awake to everything.
Teaching. Encouraging. Laughing. Leading. Loving. Appreciating.
Every sight. Every sound.
No judgements. No resistance.
Simply accepting what is.
And what will be.
YOUR TURN
How do you know when you have arrived? What does it feel like? Does time stand still? Are you mesmerized?
Photo One: Erieau, Ontario with my niece Phoebe. Photo Two with Barb at Esthetica Spa in Tecumseh, Ontario. Photo Three with Dr. Garland aka Dr. G on her international healing book tour at St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
Thriving Under Pressure 
Wide awake and present! Such a beautiful way to live, Dr. A. Great post!
Thank you so much Christy! I am fully PRESENT as I type this reply to your uplifting comment ✨ and would like to wish you and your family the most beautiful of Christmas holidays!
Why do people run from the present moment? Is this a twenty first century phenomenon or a long-standing centuries old human experience? Love to hear your thoughts.
WHY DO PEOPLE RUN FROM THE PRESENT MOMENT Such a great question Luka! One that I ask myself daily as I find myself doing this 🏃♂️ way too often. It’s not only a fundamental part of many people’s personalities — I talk about personality here: https://youtu.be/0ccXnA3GCME?si=JKYyK5fpzEhkHy_L It’s also conditioned into us as a society aka “the hustle culture”.
TAKEAWAY Which is why the first step in changing our relationship with PRESENT TIME is to first acknowledge that being present is unnatural for many people 24/7 BUT if we begin by noticing the times that we are IN THE FLOW aka in active MINDFULNESS — I talk about flow here: https://youtu.be/mZ_bI_t_L_E?si=sn3SRULY-7uNLtZP we see how good it feels.
Thanks for asking such a thought provoking question! ♥️ Dr. D
Wonderful read. We all need this reminder.
LET THIS BE TODAY’S REMINDER MICHELE TO FIND YOUR SWEET SPOT AND BE IN PRESENT TIME ✨
Hello, Dr. D. Your posts may be few, but they are all dynamic; well done. Your site also seems to be getting bigger better and providing plenty of versatility. Loved the family pic – sooo cute. As always, I enjoyed my journey through your site. Thank you, and my blessing to you, your family, and your students. Peter-James.
Peter-James, you are so kind to me! And I want you to know how much I take your words to heart. They are a true reminder that I continue to be on the right path with psychology — and my life purpose of sharing psychology everywhere, with everyone, wherever I go. Your words are grace ✨ 🙏 Dr. D
wishing you and your family the most wonderful holiday season!
Aaaah, my favorite psychologist! Whatever you and your precious family celebrate at this time of the year, my wishes are that you will have joy and peace; oh, and don’t forget to have lots of fun, too. 🙂
The sweet spot that sparkles – love that!
Thank you so much! For taking the time to read, comment, and share your thoughts! Let this be today’s reminder to live in the SPARKLE of present TIME ✨
Absolutely, Andrea, because, as another wise friend of mine puts it, “Now is the point at which time touches eternity.”
NOW IS THE POINT AT WHICH TIME TOUCHES ETERNITY 💥
Mitch, you always come in with the most POWERFUL quotes and comments. Thank you!! I will be adding this quote to my 2024 teaching intros. Especially because I spend 1/3 of every class bringing students back into present time — and they love it because:
NOW
IS
THE
POINT
AT
WHICH
TIME
TOUCHES
ETERNITY
🙏 🙏 🙏
Wishing you and your family a relaxing, restorative, and JOYFUL Christmas season!
I am totally loved your post… Nothing more sweeter than being in our Now moment. doing what we love, and the more we align in the moment, we no longer look back in the past or yearn for tomorrow.. As we learn to enJOY doing and BE-ing in the now of moments… A definite ‘sweet spot’ to be 🙂
I have been in that place more and more with my art… and loving every moment 🙂 .. Thank you Andrea for sharing . Enjoy more sweet spots to come xx ❤
ART IS LIFE ♥️
And I love that you have found a way to be in the SWEET SPOT of Life Sue!
Thank you for taking the time to read, comment, reflect, and share the parts of my post and video that hit HOME ✨
Wishing you and your family a beautiful holiday season.
Many thanks dear Andrea… Wishing you a wonderful Happy Holiday and all the very best for 2024.. ❤ xx
A powerful message on being in the moment; the here & now. That is indeed a place where all is well. Thank you Dr D for this important reminder!
Today’s joyful reminder to find the sweet spot(s) in your life Khaya and embrace all this DIVINELY yours. ✨ ♥️ Dr. D
Wishing you and your family a wonderful holiday season! Can’t wait to see what’s in store for both of us in 2024…
Thank you, Dr. D. The same beautiful words right back at you. Here’s to seeing what’s in store both of us in 2024! ❤
Ah…so nice to have found your blog. “Wide awake to everything” was the perfect phrase to greet me this morning. Thank you! 🥰
WIDE AWAKE TO EVERYTHING ☀️ 🌙 ✨
Love that this ^ sentence JUMPED off the page for you Victoria. Thank you for your continued support and kind encouraging words.
Let this be both our reminders to stay WIDE AWAKE TO EVERYTHING ☀️ 🌙 ✨ in 2024. It’s our time to SHINE xo
Cheers to every bit of that! 🥰
I know I can go to that sweet spot just about any time I want. But it’s easy to forget. Being outside helps. When I get there, time slows way down, and I remember to breathe deeper. Thanks for prompting me to appreciate this moment as I sit on the couch with my laptop and Mama Cat sprawled next to my leg. Thank you also for the reminder not to let the things I want make me forget the things I have. I am filled with gratitude. Sending you peace.
Feeling the peace and love every time I see you on my blog. Thank you Joanna for the FULL CIRCLE mindful moment. May your holidays be filled with kitty cat snuggles, slow moments, deep breaths, and unconditional love. XO
Thank you for those wonderful wishes! I hope the same for you!
Hi Dr. D. —-Dr.Di aka mom here. Your newest post, “The Sweet Spot” is brilliant especially accompanied by the photos where your smile is so contagious. Your words are inspirational and as such I
quote from Eckart Tolle “wherever there is inspiration, which translates as ‘in spirit’, and enthusiasm, which means ‘in God’ there is a creative empowerment that goes far beyond what a mere person is capable of”. Our world needs your inspirations.
Thanks Mom ♥️ It was you who gave me the Eckhart Tolle book called STILLNESS SPEAKS. A continual reminder to Just Be. 🌳
Do we ever arrive? That’s my first thought, Dr D 😉
I guess the answer, which is probably no, is why we need to be present in each moment. Thank you for this beautiful reminder (and for adding our photo as proof of all of the things) ❤
Dr. G!! You always have be thinking …. Deeper ✨ No wonder our friendship expands 8 years and covers so many mediums. It has DEPTH. Love what you wrote about the photo I included from your book tour in this post because it epitomizes the intersection between spontaneity and preparation. Still glowing IN THIS VERY MOMENT from your visit to our hometown. The Keg and The Eatery and Alumni Hall forever stamped with your family’s heart and soul. Til we meet again.. xo Dr. D
Sometimes I visit that sweet spot. Kudos Andrea for making it part of your daily life. Great to see your smiling face. 😊
Now I am smiling TWICE as wide thanks to seeing your words Brad. Not only do you write to freedom on your blog, you do the same on WordPress, everywhere you go. Wishing you a weekend filled with the kindness you give. 🌳 🌸 ☀️ Andrea
And now my heart is happy and full from your kind, empowering words. Thank you Andrea. 🙏💕
♥️ ♥️♥️♥️
Absolutely! Truth is ringing in my heart. Thank you, Dr. Andrea.
TRUTH WITH A CAPITAL T You so get it Annette! I often talk about mindfulness using the world truth because everything else is an adjusted figment of our memories and imagination. Thank you for taking the time to comment and read. I appreciate you and your books and your angel blog posts so very much 😇 Always lifting me UP 💫
Yes, I’m with you my friend. Right now in this moment, a sense of contentedness, acceptance, peace and a KNOWING that everything is simply as it should be. We can all find that peace when time stands still, the past and future irrelevant and we’re left with the NOW. ❤️🙏
Your comment is poetry 🖊️ ⛅️ Full circle bringing me back to the POWER OF NOW 💎 Thank you my Aussie friend!!