This Moment: July 5 - 11

After a decade of meditation, I am able to sustain being in the present moment for about 3 seconds. Then my mind wanders, I get lost in thought, and I'm off planning the next meal, the next project, the next event. Maybe if I keep at it for another decade, I'll get to 6 seconds. LOL. While I still have a ways to go, I understand it is essential to keep practicing. Being present in the here and now is a critical skill for truly living.

Why is this so important? Because life only happens in the present moment. We can relive, revisit, and reinterpret the past but the past only exists in memory. We can dream, envision, and plan for the future but the future only exists in imagination. All we ever really have is this moment. When we get stuck in the past or escape to the future, we get sidetracked from experiencing life in its fullness.

For me, the purpose of meditating is to practice waking up and being present to life as it unfolds moment by moment. Maybe if I learn to do this for 3 to 6 seconds, I can deeply listen the next time a loved one pours out their heart. Maybe I'll notice the birdsong that serenades my day. Maybe I'll appreciate the miracle of my eyes, my hands and my feet. Just maybe I will laugh and cry and heal and love in this moment.

Practice

Tie a string around you finger. Give yourself a mini-tattoo by inking "Now" on your hand. Or grab a post-it note, write "Be in the present moment", fold it up and put it in your pocket. Go ahead and live your day but whenever you notice your mindful reminder, stop and pause for 3 to 6 seconds.

Notice the breath.

Look up or down and take in the world.

Listen with your ears, your heart, your gut.

Notice the breath.

Feel your feet on the earth.

Smile at the sun, your neighbor, your self.

Notice the breath.

Pause and simply be.

Live the moment, the day, your life.