Living life moment to moment becomes more real when you lose people you love or care about, come face to face with an uncertain situation, challenge an illness… perhaps adversities are life’s way of making you appreciate what you have.
In this often weird and amazing world, the things that make me hit ‘pause’ and wonder at life are a few everyday things: winter sunshine, rain in the sea, falling leaves, trees, a happy dog, a child’s innocence, the wisdom that comes with age, teenagers goofing around, a gesture of kindness, walking that extra mile, creativity, ice cream, hot tea, tears of intensity, a football match, relationships, books, moments of complete solitude, music, silence…
The realisation that nothing lasts forever, to know impermanence from breath to breath, to understand that you only have that much time allows me to appreciate and be grateful for all that I have in the now. It makes me mindful to savour, celebrate and experience my life fully.
In a world that constantly demands that you be more, do more, we often lose perspective of what makes us truly happy. Your worth is often measured in how you look, what you wear, which car you drive, where you live, the holidays you take, the people you hang out with… all scrutinised carefully via your social media handles. Your popularity is measured by the number of likes you receive on your posts. Your value and goodness are measured in your status updates. Its easy to lose yourself in this maze and live on autopilot mode – one day to another – in a crazy race against time that can take you further and further away from your true purpose.
Breathe. Take a moment every now and then to just be present. Look up at the sky, savour a glass of water, meditate, walk barefoot on the grass, do things that give you joy whether it is cooking a meal for your family or walking your dog, listen to music, have a heart to heart conversation, listen to silence, open your heart to love and to hurt, just be… there are a zillion ways to go within and find yourself.
More importantly, don’t forget that no one else should ever decide your self-worth. What’s important to someone else may not be what you want and that’s perfectly okay. Challenges and problems are a part of life, embrace these with the belief that these will only make you stronger and that this too shall pass. Live in the moment – moment to moment.
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