"What day is it?" asked Winnie the Pooh.
"It's today," squeaked Piglet.
"My favorite day," said Pooh.
This is a quote from the children's stories Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne. It speaks of the joy of being present in the moment. It doesn't matter what happened yesterday, or what will be tomorrow. The only thing that matters is what is happening today. And today, as Pooh suggests to us, is a day worth reveling in.
Do you ever have that feeling that time has passed, but you weren't really paying attention? Perhaps you were so busy with your daily routine that you became distracted while time slipped away from you? A common example of this is when you're driving down the same road you travel everyday, to work or to the store, and all of a sudden you're at your destination, but you don't really remember how you got there. It happens to me all the time. You're living the moment, but you're not really present. Sometimes it happens to me when I'm reading. My mind starts to wander, and I have to go back and re-read something.
Mindfulness is an attentive awareness of the reality of things in the present moment. It allows us to appreciate the here and now. Ralph Waldo Emerson said "Life is a journey, not a destination." There does not have to be a rush to get anywhere. Life is made up of moments. Sometimes, we just need to take in the moment, and to breathe. This is something I often try to assist my clients in doing in their own lives. There is much to be gained from taking a step back, surveying the situation, and appreciating it for whatever it is. It is similar to taking a mental snapshot of a moment, so as not to forget it. It allows us to solidify a memory, as we are making a conscious effort to take notice. Perhaps it's a beautiful sunset, or a baby's first step, or a loving glance between two people. Or maybe it's just any every day moment, yet it is one in which we are present.
In today's society, there are so many things that keep us from from being fully present in the moment. Look at modern technology. For example, my children are on their iPhone and iPod often, and while doing so, time certainly seems to slip by for them. In some cases, it's a good thing. It keeps them quietly occupied when nothing else will do. Other times, it's just a distraction from more important things going on around them. With the development of social media, things like Facebook or Twitter (or a slew of other sites that I cannot even keep track of these days), there are a lot of ways to interfere with mindfulness. In fact, while you're reading this blog, perhaps you're not fully present. Maybe you're multitasking. That's ok, but feel free to take a moment now to really reflect on what you're reading. Ok, there, thats better. Thank you :)
Sometimes, I think about what life would be like without all of the high tech gadgets and gizmos we use daily. Growing up in my day, they didn't exist like they do now. Even so, when I was a child, I used to go to summer camp to get a taste of mindfulness. Summer camp is a lot different these days, as it has had to keep up with society's advances, like everything else. Yet, the idea of camp is still the same. I loved having time to enjoy nature, to sit quietly and reflect, and to get to know my peers face to face.
I've always wondered what it would have been like to live in the time of Little House On The Prairie. I used to watch that television show every day when I was a child. In case you grew up living under a rock, this show was an American Western drama television series about the life and adventures of the Ingalls family in the 1870s and 1880s. As an adult, I often wonder what it would be like grow up in that type of simple environment, without the bells and whistles of today's world. Of course, those times required people to face many hardships. Yet, there was something about appreciating the simple things that I find very appealing.
Sometimes, it is easy to get caught up in our fast paced society and all of its pressure. We find ourselves worrying about yesterday, today, and tomorrow. There are bills to pay, mouths to feed, and to-do lists that are ten feet long. Sometimes, the chaos of today may rob us of our memorable moments. However, it doesn't have to be this way. We can be mindful. I often have times in my life where memories play like a video in my head. It might be a memory of one day, or it might be snapshots of many days or memories. Often they are about times with my children, or about memories of others who have been close to me. In these situations, I have paid attention to past moments in which I was fully present, and I am remembering them as clear as if they are happening today.
This moment, this one right now, is the only moment that matters. It is worth being present. It will help you remember later on, when the moment is a distant memory. As Paul Anka sings, "Remember, do you remember, the times of your life." Be present. Be mindful. Remember. Like Pooh suggests, go ahead and cherish today. Make it your favorite day.
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