It is a challenge for me to be awake and alive to the possibilites of each moment. I am easily distracted from the present by the regrets and excuses of the past, and the fears and fantasies of the future. It takes a lot of work to be attentive to the present, and working that hard makes it difficult to be open.
I was deeply asleep to myself for a long time, living to meet the expectations of others. As I began to wake up, I regretted that I had wasted so much time and potential. I work hard to make sure that I have changed my life and do not continue to make the same mistakes.
In some ways, I substitute anxiety about the future for the expectations of other people, and continue to miss the wonders of living in the present.
Slowly and gradually, I am learning that the present is all that we have. We are not able to change what we have done in the past, and not able to predict what we will do in the future. The present is the only place in which we are truly alive.
Being awake and alive in the present has a lot to do, for me, with spending time in silence and solitude. We need opportunities to listen, which include quieting the voices of other people and our own thoughts to be open to the truth of the present moment. It often astounds me how much depth and meaning there is in each moment once we set aside the distractions and become open.
Each moment is filled with potential for us to realize, with lessons to teach us, with flavors for us to savor. If we can be alive and awake, if we can keep breathing and listening, each moment tells us its own story.
How will you savor the moments of your day?
[Image by AlicePopkorn]
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