Being present makes us aware of the affect we have on the world and ways in which everything in our environment impacts us. How often do you go to bed at night and feel like you've been on auto-pilot all day? Or find yourself sitting at your desk but don't really remember the drive to work? Or look back at a vacation and find that it's all a blur? When we are truly present in a moment, that moment becomes part of the fiber of who we are. It enables us to see our true selves as we experience people and situations and notice how we think and feel about these impressions on our lives. Being present in every moment of every day is a huge task. I want to be here for all the moments in my life, but my tendency is to daydream to the future. Others I know, tend to think of the past as they continue down their path. Living in the now gives us more opportunity to experience the grace of the beautiful life we already have, right now. I am working to slow down, savor the little things that are so easily overlooked, and create a full, rich life for myself each day.
My husband recently turned 50 and on his 49th birthday he started keeping track of all the live music he witnessed in that year before this big landmark. He saw 125 performances in one year. Now, he doesn't always remember the conversation we had 2 nights ago, and I can often tell that even though he's standing right next to me, his mind is somewhere else. But when he is in front of live music being played, he is present. He devours every note and imprints every song in his mind. He knows set lists of concerts he saw 20 years ago. That is being present.
Looking back at 365 days and being able to say that, at the very least, he had 125 episodes of being fully in the moment...that is pretty impressive. His spirit is soaring when he is in the place. In the same way some spirits soar when working in a garden, or reading books to children, or practicing yoga. The challenge is to find this experience in everyday tasks. How can folding laundry lift our spirits? That's up to each of us to discover for ourselves, but I suggest starting with gratitude. Being thankful for everything that has led up to the task of folding that shirt. The cotton grown from the Earth, the many hands that turned that cotton into a shirt, the resources to have that shirt to keep you protected and warm, the water that brings it back to clean time and time again... give it a try. Over time it will be something that comes more naturally. When I was dishes, I sometimes literally tell myself "I am washing dishes," just to bring me back to the moment. It helps to keep me from saying "I can't believe I'm washing dishes AGAIN. I would rather be reading a magazine. I wish one of my kids was washing the dishes instead of me." That changes the quality of my moment. I don't want a lifetime of mediocre moments. I want a lifetime of precious moments, and that is up to me to create.
peace, love, and smelling the roses...
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