The First Taste
Years ago, when I was in college, I did what college students often do. I studied hard, worked to get good grades, and tried to become the best version of myself I knew how to be.
But there was another side of me too.
I loved being wild and free with my friends. I loved the energy of the weekends, the laughter, the music, the bars, and the feeling of freedom from parental control. At least, that’s what freedom felt like then.
One evening when we were out with friends, a college buddy told me something that stuck with me. I didn’t fully understand it, but years later, it began to make sense.
He said that when we began drinking and felt that first gentle buzz, we naturally wanted more. We didn’t want the feeling to fade. We wanted to hold onto it, intensify it, and keep it going.
He called it “chasing the dragon.”
Over time, the phrase came to describe something larger for me: the attempt to recapture an initial high that can never quite be duplicated. We get a taste of something pleasurable, and then we pursue the feeling rather than enjoy the moment.
Those wild and carefree college days are long behind me. I don’t chase that particular dragon anymore.
But the impulse to chase a feeling hasn’t disappeared. It simply takes different forms.
The Dragons We Still Chase
We chase the next achievement.
The next vacation.
The next relationship.
The next spiritual insight.
The next moment when everything feels peaceful, satisfying, and complete.
Even when something life-giving is happening, part of us already wonders how long it will last.
We sit with people we love, but we think about what comes next.
We watch a sunset, but we reach for our phone to capture the moment with our camera.
We rest, but our minds tell us we should do something more productive.
We experience a moment of God’s presence, but instead of receiving it, we immediately wonder how we can recreate it.
We start chasing the dragon.
We imagine the fullness we seek must be somewhere out there—a little farther down the road, hidden inside another peak experience, accomplishment, possession, person, or spiritual encounter.
What If the Treasure Is Already Here?
But what if the treasure isn’t out there? What if it’s already here?
God continually gives us sunshine and rain, breath and heartbeat, bodies and minds, friends and family, laughter and tears, silence and song.
God gives us the ability to see, hear, taste, touch, imagine, create, love, and be loved.
Yet we can become so focused on what we still want that we fail to receive what we’ve already been given.
We chase what’s next while missing what’s now.
This may be why Jesus continually invited people to awaken:
Look at the birds.
Consider the flowers.
Receive your daily bread.
Abide in me.
God Is Not Hiding
The spiritual life isn’t always about feeling more peaceful, more inspired, or more connected to God.
Sometimes it’s about noticing. Awakening.
God isn’t hiding somewhere beyond the present moment. God is within it.
God is present in the music entering your ears.
In the chair supporting your body.
In the breath moving through your lungs.
In the quiet house.
In the conversation.
In the longing.
In the awareness that you’re alive.
We don’t have to chase God. We’re invited to become still enough to receive God.
Desire Without Grasping
This doesn’t mean we’ll never want more. Desire is part of being human. It can lead us toward beauty, growth, creativity, and love.
But desire becomes restlessness when it convinces us the present moment isn’t enough.
The invitation isn’t to cling to every pleasurable experience or make it last forever. The invitation is to let the moment be complete while it’s here.
To receive the gift without grasping.
To enjoy without possessing.
To savor without demanding more.
Maybe the dragon we’ve been chasing isn’t something we’re supposed to catch. Maybe the dragon is the illusion that life is always somewhere else.
But life is right here. Now. In this present moment.
Staying present begins by noticing the difference between chasing a moment and receiving it. Chasing tries to grasp it, prolong it, or make it happen again. Receiving allows us to be fully present and experience the moment just as it is.
A Simple Mind-Body-Spirit Practice
The next time you notice yourself rushing through a life-giving moment—or trying to make a pleasurable experience last—pause.
Notice one concrete thing that is already here: the joy of music, the warmth of sunlight on your skin, the taste of coffee, the feel of your feet on the ground, or the presence of someone you love.
Engage Your Mind
Quietly remind yourself:
“I don’t have to chase this moment or make it last. I can receive it just as it is. This moment doesn’t have to last forever to be complete. It is already complete.”
Notice whether there is still a part of you reaching ahead—wanting more, wondering what comes next, or worrying the moment will soon be gone.
That’s the energy of chasing. It pulls your attention away from what is here and toward the next moment, the next feeling, or the next experience.
Simply notice it.
Then gently let it go.
Notice Your Body and Emotions
Take a few slow breaths and bring your attention to your body.
Notice what this moment feels like in your body.
Where do you experience the pleasure, joy, peace, love, or aliveness?
Is there warmth in your chest? A softening in your shoulders? A smile forming on your face? A gentle energy moving through you?
Notice your emotions too. Is there happiness, contentment, tenderness, relief, gratitude, or something else?
You don’t have to analyze what you feel. You don’t have to hold onto it or make it stronger.
Simply let yourself experience what’s already here.
Listen to Your Spirit
Now notice how your spirit responds.
Does gratitude arise? Awe? Wonder? Praise?
Maybe you become aware that God is here, within this ordinary, life-giving moment.
Let the energy of chasing soften. Let your attention return to what is already here.
Receiving is opening your mind, body, and spirit to what is already being given. It’s allowing this moment to touch you without needing to possess it, improve it, or make it last.
Maybe the joy you feel, the love surrounding you, the beauty you notice, or the peace stirring within you is one way God is loving you in this moment.
Receive the moment as a gift and lift it up to God with gratitude.
Let your mind, body, and spirit rest together in the presence of God’s love.
You don’t have to chase the dragon.
Open your hands.
Receive the gift.
You’re already here.
God is already here.
Let yourself be loved.
For this moment, let that be enough.
—brian plachta
brianplachta.com
************************
Want to Help Your Community Experience God in Everyday Life?
Are people in your church, organization, or small group looking for practical ways to quiet their minds, deepen their relationship with God, and experience God’s presence in daily life?
I’d love to help.
As a speaker, retreat leader, and workshop facilitator, I offer a practical, street-level spirituality rooted in the ancient Christian contemplative tradition. Through inspiring stories, simple spiritual practices, and meaningful conversation, participants discover how to listen for God’s voice and live with greater peace, wisdom, and purpose.
If this sounds like something that would bless your community, click the link below to schedule a complimentary discovery call. Together, we’ll explore how a keynote, retreat, workshop, or book study could best serve your group.
Click Here to Schedule a Discovery Call
To learn more about the talks, workshops and presentations I offer, visit:
Explore Workshops and Retreats
I’d love to hear from you.
Your friend in the flow,
brian
************************
If you’re seeking a gentler start to your mornings—one you can carry with you into your day to find more inner peace—I invite you to join divineFlow Daily, a free short reflection and quote sent to your inbox each day. In under a minute, it’s meant to help you slow down, breathe, and remember what truly gives life before the noise sets in.
Sign up for divineFlow Daily here.
0 Comments