Living (is found) in the moment
The other night I decided to make a bowl of popcorn. Not the kind of popcorn that comes in a microwave bag but homemade, stovetop popcorn unashamedly popped in coconut oil. This time, after sprinkling on the salt, I drizzled a fair amount of golden honey and blue agave nectar all over the freshly popped corn. Oh… My… God! The candy-like flavor mixed with the salty popcorn was heaven in my mouth! It was so incredible that I found myself deliciously moaning and groaning and ready to shove in a second handful of popcorn before I was finished eating the first. And soon, rather than being able to savor one mouthful at a time, I found myself only anticipating the sweetness of the next mouthful. So much so that before I knew it my focus was more on the upcoming handful of popcorn rather than the flavor that was bursting in my mouth in that instant. When I had finished my bowl of popcorn, I felt more full than satisfied or relaxed. I had lost the true experience of the moment.
We treat life the same exact way. We are constantly running around, so stretched and stressed out that when we do have a moment to truly enjoy something beautiful like a meal, a sunset, children playing, or birds singing outside our window, we hardly even notice it. And as we rush through life, we keep telling ourselves that the next wonderful moment is just around the corner. And we continue to wait for that one big “thing” to happen before we can say that life is good.
Practicing mindfulness is a great way to slow life down and begin to live in the moment. Another word for mindful is attentive. When we are mindful, we direct our attention to the present experience and simply live it as it unfolds or “becomes.” And, with an open mind and acceptance, we allow the experience to unfold rather than judging it, criticizing it, or worrying about what is happening or what might happen. When we allow our negative mind to interfere in the moment, we get a negative moment. Who wants that?
Life is not about someday or sometime or worrying about some unknown someday or sometime. Life is happening right now. Make 2018 the year to be more mindful of the little joys around you. Take the time to appreciate what you have rather than focusing on what you don’t have. And give thought to Buddha’s counsel: “Do not dwell on the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” Mother Owl
