Days, weeks, and years go by. Each of those days, weeks, and years—and ultimately, your entire life—is made up of individual moments. This advice is about experiencing each of those moments instead of cruising through them on auto-pilot, as we often do.
There are several components to this:
First, you have to appreciate the value of living in the present. As John Lennon sang, “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” Recognize that your life is what is happening right now, whether you like it or not. Pay attention or you might miss it! This doesn’t mean that you can’t plan for a different or better future, but not at the expense of dismissing what is, as though it doesn’t count. Every minute counts! Living in the present helps to reduce stress, too. The more time you spend focusing on the here and now, the less time you have to be stressed or anxious about the future (or the past).
Second, you have to avoid multi-tasking—at least if more than one of the tasks requires that your brain be engaged. Although you can physically text one person while talking to another, there is some part of that “simultaneous” action that is not getting all of your attention. The same goes for finishing a proposal while talking to your significant other on the phone, listening to anything but background music while doing office work, and watching TV while talking to your kids. What? You don’t have time to single-task? If you want quality results, you don’t really have any other option.
Going even deeper, make sure you experience the moments in your one-on-one conversations. Focus on what the other person is saying and how they are saying it—instead of assuming it is the same old thing, or thinking about something else entirely, or missing part of what is being said because you are too busy focusing on what you are going to say in response. Many of the best parts of your life are going to be about relationships—family, friends, co-workers, and others. Paying attention to what these people say to you goes a long way towards deepening and nurturing those relationships.
Finally, pay attention to the little things in life—the interesting flavors in your evening meal, the flowers blooming by the side of road, how fresh the air smells after it rains, how good it feels to hug a loved one.
Experiencing the moments of your life helps you to enjoy a deeper, richer, and more rewarding life. Give it a try!
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