Every day, I wake up and I instantly think about all the things I have going on: Am I working? Spending time with family and friends? Relaxing? Whatever the case, my thoughts immediately delve into the course of events I have set out to follow that day, that week, that month, etc.
I don't know if any of you relate to this, but it seems my days are so meticulously planned out, every day just another checklist to finish before I hit the pillow and get ready to do it all over again. Go to work. Work out. Eat. Sleep. Repeat. Living life in a constant cycle, I sometimes find myself dreading my daily activities, always anticipating the next event, not being happy with where I am right now.
Because of this, I wonder: Am I ever living for today, or even better, the present moment?
As I consider this question, a quote from ThÃch Nhat Hanh comes to mind:
"We are very good at preparing to live, but not very good at living. We know how to sacrifice ten years for a diploma, and we are willing to work very hard to get a job, a car, a house, and so on. But we have difficulty remembering that we are alive in the present moment, the only moment there is for us to be alive."
What has happened to me, to us all, that we are so focused on always pushing forward, on preparing ourselves for the next two, ten steps, that we have diverted our focus from our current surroundings?
It seems to me to we do not only have difficulty remembering we are alive in the present moment as Thich Nhat Hanh says, but also that we have forgotten to fall in love with simply being alive.
I have talked about mindfulness and living in the present moment before, and today I want to go even deeper, to really consider what it means to live to be alive, and nothing else.
One of my favorite quotes goes, "I hope there are days where you fall in love with being alive," and that is something that I wish for you, that I wish for me.
I'd like to say that I have a good idea about how to do this, but, as I was explaining earlier, I am in the same trap of mindless routine as you all. Yes, I do many things to help shift this mindset, but there are still days that I forget what a blessing it simply is to be alive, to be walking this earth.
As I'm writing this and considering more what this idea of falling in love with being alive means, the image of children comes to my mind.
Think of a baby, or a small toddler who gets excited at the little things. You can be playing peekaboo or giving them their food, with a spoon coming at them like an airplane and you will find them smiling like crazy, giggling endlessly.
There is something so pure, so innocent, so freeing about how satisfied children are while doing such mundane things. This is a feeling I think we should all aim to embody in our daily lives.
I think what it comes down to is not only doing our very best to live in the present and live for today, but living for the little moments. I find the days I am most at peace with my life are the days where I embrace someone giving me an offhand compliment, I sit down and truly enjoy a good meal, I have a really satisfying workout, or have a day full of good conversation.
We spend our lives always pushing forward for the big moments, but I think, in the end, it's the little moments that make it possible for us to fall in love with life.
I am not by any means suggesting we stop our daily pursuits. What I am saying is that we take time to reflect and really enjoy the little moments that make up the bigger picture of our life. Life is meant to be enjoyed, not just endured. Remember that.
Fall in love with the way the sunshine hits your face when you walk outside, the sound of one of your loved ones laughing, the relaxation you feel when your head hits the pillow after a long day, the laughter that comes from your favorite tv show.
These everyday occurrences are what matter most.
The big moments are only time markers enveloping the little moments that make life worth living.
I believe in you, readers. Start living for today, for right now. Start falling in love with being alive.
Talk soon,
Sam
