Have you ever had the experience of driving on the highway, only to realize that you missed your exit, or worse, have no recollection of the previous 15 minutes? We just 'zone out' occasionally. The same thing may happen when you are reading a book. You find yourself at the end of a chapter, and have no idea what you just read! We become so lost in our thoughts that we become unaware of what is going on around us. This is when life can literally pass us by! We can change this by doing our best to live in the moment. This doesn't mean that you shouldn't care about the future. It merely means that when you make a choice to do something, you actually focus on doing it. Most of us have a lot of chatter going on in our minds and when we learn to cut through all that noise, this is when we become more mindful. I find it helps to think of what you're doing as possibly the last time you'll get to experience it. What if it truly was the last day of your life? Would you finally pay attention? No matter what you're doing, try to find something beautiful around you. Being thankful for something that is already in your life will help you notice the present moment. Even the small things can bring life and happiness to routine days.
In her book Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert writes about her friend who, whenever she sees a beautiful place, exclaims in near panic, "It's so beautiful here! I want to come back here someday!" "It takes all my pursuasive powers, writes Gilbert, to convince her that she is already here."
"We have more possibilities available
in each moment than we realize."
-Thich Nhat Hanh
Photo via Getty Images
No comments:
Post a Comment