 Dear Why Team Member, It's been just a few weeks since me and my two sons had the time of our life touring and seeing the sights in London and Paris. I am very fortunate to have many other moments and vacations I spent with my children where I can say I had the time of my life. Why can't every day be the time of our life? Why not make now, our Best moment, make today, the Best day, every moment, every day? How may we experience more the time of our lives? And why is it important we do so? To live in this present moment, now, means being conscious, aware and in the present with all your senses. It means not dwelling on the past, nor being anxious or worrying about the future.
Be a witness - becoming more aware of what you are doing - exactly what you are doing - in any given moment, bear witness to it. Observe it, name it, and stand away from it -- all at once. The moment is now...now...now! However, cling not to the “now", but rather simply bear witness to it. To cling to whatever arises can trap us in time as it passes. We have the times of our life when we know that THIS is the time of our life - this specific time - meaning right NOW - the only time in which we are alive. We can only live our life in our given moments. Having the time of our lives requires that we be more fully present IN THE TIME of our life and experience it without trying to hold on to it; think of soft, fine sand running through your fingers, a wonderful experience diminished if we try to hold it, contain it. Great vacations where everything around us is new and fresh can bring us more fully into the moment, the result is that we often reflect on these trips as some of the best times (moments) of our lives. Think back now to some of the great moments of your life. Notice that they are indeed moments. Notice how fully present you were in those moments. It was a great time in your life largely because you were more fully present for that time in your life. That time was not taken for granted. Familiarity breeds contempt. The well-worn paths of our daily lives can lose their newness and freshness, they can fail to gain our attention, thus so much of the times of our lives are preoccupied with our To-Do lists, our constant review of our current circumstances and how to improve them; we often walk right past the flowers that could teach us that just being is beautiful. As the saying goes, don't forget to smell the roses. When we fail to see the richness all around us in our given moments, we can begin to feel a sense of lack, a kind of poverty that feels real to us. The To-Do lists do need our attention, clearly there are things to do and people to see, but try putting reminders in your life, maybe an alarm on your phone that goes off a few times a day to remind you to stop for just a moment, observe the richness of the moment, express gratitude for it and then get back to whatever task you feel you need to complete. [An app that does just this and allows you to build a community of people that reinforce this value in your life is called Happier, and is available for iPhone and Android] When you become more aware that you have been given a moment, receive it, notice in that moment to look beyond your distractions to find great riches. Smile in gratitude. An article from Loyalty Leaders reminds us that “There's an old saying: “Smile. It increases your face value.” It also increases your success. Researchers conclude that people who frequently smile appear to be more successful than their less-happy peers in three primary areas of life: work, relationships, and health.” Every given moment is a gift to us, and it is literally the time of our life. It is up to us to experience it that way. Why? Because until we learn this practice, we're less able to have the time of our lives, to be more present, grateful, and overflowing into the lives of others. When we believe the lie that our cups are empty or half full, we become those who seek to get more, rather than those who seek to give more. Live a life that is for...giving and taking notice of the riches around us in every given moment. Just as serving is its own reward, remember that feelings of lack reward us with just that, more of the same feeling. Look around you now to see the abundance before you. Notice more the people in your life - some may be close by, some may be far away, but each one of them love and care for you - imagine how poor you would be were they not in your life. Return their Love by growing and becoming better, appreciating the present as great or as tough as it may be, knowing you’re not alone.. Consider the immeasurable joy of looking into loving eyes, being held, being with, and holding, the ones we love who love us. Strive to be more present and you will be more of what the world needs now - and you'll really be there for the times of your life. Make it a great week, Steve Luckenbach Comments are closed.
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