I love groups channelings, whether I’m the channel or just along for the ride.

In this consultation of the Records of 2013, I asked about any energetic trends that were visible from our vantage point in October 2012. The answer was that there was the very clear energy of a bell curve occurring individually during the year. That each person had their own rhythm, and that it was obvious that for each person on Planet Earth in 2013, the energy will start small, then expand, and then get small again.

Now, the downward trend of the bell curve could be experienced in one of two ways: either as a crash or as a gentle ebb. Having a spiritual or therapeutic practice (i.e., meditation or going to a therapist or for healings) was going to keep you from crashing at the apex of the curve. That’s because both of these practices help keep you present.

The key to thriving in 2013, according to the Records (and there was a lot more to learn here–I’m just sharing a few pieces that struck me as important to know), was to stay grounded in the Present Moment.

If you haven’t read all my past articles on the Present Moment, I’ll recap here:  The Present Moment, on its most basic level, is that moment in time when you are not spinning away into the past–with nostalgia or regret–or rushing off into the future–with anticipation or anxiety, for example. It’s where you are present to yourself and your surroundings rather than creating stories about what may or did happen.

The Present Moment, incidentally, is also that place where we are Enlightened.  Yep, I did just say that. Enlightenment is not a distant destination, reachable only when we’ve traveled a long and difficult spiritual path. Nope. Enlightenment is available in any moment. All you have to do to reach out and touch it is to be fully present.

We are in the Present Moment when we are grounded in what’s real now. Not what we’re afraid of or what we hope for, but what our 5 senses are telling us is our current reality, if we’ll only listen.  To get into the Present Moment, the best thing to do is to recognize that every act is a sacred act. Because we are Divine beings, every act is sacred, though we often forget this in our multi-tasking world.

Here’s an example from the Records. Let’s say you’re driving your car, stuck in traffic. You could blame yourself and regret not having left earlier: this takes you away from the present and into the past. Or, you could leap toward the future in your mind, wondering how your tardiness will play when you arrive 15 minutes late. Neither of these is going to bring you any ease: au contraire.

What will bring you ease is to stay in the present: feel your hands on the steering wheel, be aware of the other cars motionless around you, and breathe. As you are breathing and aware, do not let your thoughts spin off into potentialities or consequences. Just stay where you are and notice details such how bright the light is, or any sounds, smells or sensations that enter your consciousness, and let them float away as they floated in.

If this sounds like meditation–focusing on your breath, not being attached to thoughts as they enter and exit your consciousness–you’re right. That’s what makes meditation so powerful: it takes you to the Divine realm where nothing but the Present Moment exists.

Make every act a sacred act.

Connect to that place of Enlightenment.

Breathe.

Oh, and feel your feelings rather than stuffing or avoiding them. This will help you stay strong, centered and grounded throughout your personal ups and downs in the year 2013.