Feel The Moment: It’s Just About… Life.

How many times in life do we make it all too complicated? Without even realizing it, without even stopping to think we should stop the way we are thinking, what we are saying, how we are feeling. As The Eagles sing, “…we make it harder than it has to be, and I can’t tell you why….”

But I can tell you why. In fact I think life can be easy, or at least easier, if we just learn to feel the moment. Live in it, embrace it, realize each one is simply another step along the journey. And never forget each moment is fleeting, so if you think around it, look past it, or refuse to be present in it, it doesn’t matter… you don’t get it back. It’s gone, whether you noticed it or not. And that’s your loss.

Even if it’s not the best moment, even if it’s the worst moment, if you face it head on, you have a better shot of picking yourself up, getting back on your feet and working toward a feeling of fulfillment again.

Believe me I get it. Words have power, but they are also easier for me to write and much tougher when it comes time for me, or you, to take action. Yet I still believe you can make it easier on yourself with one word: gratitude. When that emotion, when that feeling, when that thought is in place on a consistent basis, as a daily place to visit in your mind and in your heart, then you can feel the moment. Train yourself to focus on the positive, put the negative parts of your day behind you, in the back of your mind. Live life moving forward, not looking back, or just as bad, standing still.

I’m trying to feel it every day, to slow down at different parts of the day, early morning, just before bed, and at several other times to pause and reflect, to feel the moment. I try and concentrate on what is going right, and if it’s not, stay focused on the thought it will all work out, if I just keep doing what I am supposed to do, and be patient.

Want some advice on how to get there? Here’s a helping hand: In the book, The Millionaire Course, author Marc Allen makes it easy, by giving you some words to live by. Allen says tell yourself you are going to accomplish whatever you set out to do, but take your time, success is a process. Do what you need to do, but do it all “in an easy and relaxed manner, in a healthy and positive way, in its own perfect time, for the highest good of all”. Repeat that phrase a few times. Go on, give it a shot, and you’ll start to believe it, you’ll start to feel it. Feel the moment.

The very first blog I ever wrote (Archive, Moments: Observations of Life, January 9th), was about this very topic: It’s all about Moments. Every day you have them, experience them, but don’t always pay attention. Am I really quoting myself? That’s scary. Though after 60 blogs and nearly four months of posts, maybe there are some words worth repeating. To become more, you need to pay attention, be aware, be present. Your mind goes where your attention goes, focus on being in the moment, whatever the moment is, and compound those good thoughts.

Having trouble coming up with a special moment? Look at the picture and caption below, and as we make our way this week toward Mother’s Day, bask in a moment like this:

“Sometimes we forget to rejoice in the little things. Today I choose to stop and relish in the newness of hearing the name “mommy” called from Lakelann’s room this week for the first time ever. Thank you! We were told at her 4-month check-up, when diagnosed, that she may never, walk, talk, or understand. I love these awesome moments and I love her so much.”

– Shannon Bennett Curry, Mother of Lakelann, Age 7

Shannon and her daughter were, for a time, residents of the Ronald McDonald House in Baltimore. Amazing how a child simply saying the word “mommy” can be described as an awesome moment. For those of us lucky enough to hear the words “mommy” or “daddy” every day, it can become mundane, but does it have to? It’s all in your perspective and your life situation. Moments. Add them up, they make a life. So if you make the most of them, you make the most of …. you got it, life.

We all want to feel the moment, heck they just wrote a song about it:

And if you don’t feel it, then maybe it’s time to start finding a way. Put enough moments together, you must might make your dreams come true.

Until next time, thanks for taking the time.

Mark