We are too busy, unsatisfied, unfulfilled, anxious and overcommitted. We try to fill every moment with activity, entertainment or anything that numbs us. We eat dinner while scanning the news feed on our smart phones, make calls during our drives home, mentally make lists while jogging, pay our bills online while at meetings, do several chores while cooking, text our friends while walking, and so the list goes. Moments go by and we are unaware of what happens in them, what value they hold. Of course, we can't be grateful for what we don't recognize. So what if we stopped being busy and looked around? What do we see? What do we hear? What do we feel? What is this present moment like? What are our present moments like? In them we could find meaningful conversations, laughter, beauty, inspiration, peace, fun, love and connectedness.
He drives, holds my hand and asks me about my day, tells me about his, we talk and enjoy each other. I ruin it every time I pick up my phone to check email. I ruin it for myself. I break the energy we create by dividing my attention. I am making a point of being there, being present. I want to enjoy my showers, dinners, my drives–the music, the cityscape, a laugh with my son, the wisdom shared by my parents, the creativity inherent in cooking, my hand held in love.
In stopping to appreciate this moment and what it holds, we not only receive, we give. In honoring the present moment, we give our attention, our respect and our appreciation to ourselves and those we share the moment with. We participate in the flow of goodwill.
Today is a good day to be fully present, mindful, thankful...happy.
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| Drawing by Malley McGuire. |
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