“Only the present moment is real and available to us. The peace we desire is not in some distant future, but it is something we can realize in the present moment.” –Thich Nhat Hahn, “Interbeing”
Know why we call this moment The Present? It’s because it’s our gift. And we only get to enjoy this present once. Oftentimes we are so busy re-living the past or planning for the future that we miss all the pleasures of this very moment. Ever experience having someone you love request your ‘presence’ and you only give them your physical body? It could have been your child who wanted you to read a book with/to them. Or perhaps it was your mate who wanted you to hold them in your arms. Ever sit down to a meal and not even know what it taste like? Well, that’s called living in the absence. What I would like to discuss here, is living in the presence. Or better yet, Mindful Living.
My children are now 19, 18 and 13. I used to look at them and ask myself, ‘Where did all the time go?’. Now I realize what happened. I was so busy working and preparing for our future that I was not mindful to enjoy our gift of the present. I remember them falling asleep on my office floor because Mama had to work. I remember picking up dinner while rushing home because Mama had to work. I remember halfway listening to the events of their day because Mama had to work. There was no time to just be still and live mindfully. There was just too much to do.
Now, there is only one thing to do….and that thing is to enjoy whatever I’m doing in that moment. If it’s drinking tea, I am mindful of the taste of the leaf and the warmth that fills my body. If it’s eating, I am mindful of each and every sweet, sour, pungent, salty flavor that blesses my taste buds. If it’s listening to my children replay their day, I am mindful of the smile that washes over their face or the light in their eyes. If it is holding my lover, I am mindful of the smoothness of his skin . And even now as I think upon those things, I am filled with peace. I have learned that mindful living will cause a certain peace that is parallel to none.
I implore you to just give it a try. Try it right now as you read this post. Be with the words and become mindful of what you feel. Afterward, go throughout the rest of your day being mindful of your every action/reaction. You might be surprised at the outcome.
Mindfully Living,
J-licious
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