Remember a time when you experienced extreme wonder?
Magic and miracles happen every day but most of us are too busy to notice.
The secret is mindfulness.
Slow down.
Enjoy the journey.
Don’t just head towards your destination.
Remember when you saw something so beautiful it took your breath away?
Remember a piece of chocolate that was so delicious the taste lasted for hours.
Remember the aromal of the campfire in forest or grandma’s chocolate chip cookies. It was so intoxicating, you can still smell the memory .
That is how a child experiences the world, all these first experiences are miracles of daily living. For the child, these daily wonders help time stand still – savoring each moment of pure joy.
Who decided that only a child has the right to live in the moment, moving from joy to joy? Nonsense!
When you stay in the present moment as a child does, the clock moves slower, feelings are more intense and life becomes more magnificent, magical and wonderful.
Magic and miracles happen every day but most of us are too busy to notice.
The secret is mindfulness.
Slow down.
Enjoy the journey.
Don’t just head towards your destination.
Life is in the living between big events, between reaching your goals.
Make a ‘bucket list’ and aim to fill it, but remember the other hand carries the other bucket: activities of daily living. That second bucket doesn’t have to be any less satisfying/gratifying.
Picture the child’s care-free smile and joy. Recall when you were ‘that’ child…
Breathe.
Stop.
Savor.
See.
Feel.
Listen.
Hear.
Find PLEASURE in ALL you do– not just in the vacations and scheduled time off.
Use your senses to really feel all your experiences — See the trees on the way to work; choose real foods and really Taste your food. Smell the flowers in your yard or the herbs you use to cook with. Listen to your loved ones and even to those with whom you work.
The next time you listen to music, pause. Stop and move your body as you hear the melody. Also listen to the silence between the notes.
Before your next meal, say ‘thank you’ to the farmer and the Earth, and any animal that may be on your plate; then see if you can take 5 minutes just to eat the first bite.
When you are getting ready in the morning, look in the mirror, smile at your own reflection and say to yourself, “I LOVE YOU! I love you just as you are! I APPROVE OF YOU! YOU ARE DOING THE BEST YOU CAN! I WILL HAVE A GOOD DAY.”
If you slow down and PRIORITIZE PLEASURE and MINDFULNESS, you will experience your life with more joy.
We spend too much time teaching kids.
How to grow up.
How to learn to be adults.
How to live by societal rules.
And how to limit their thinking – often telling them their dreams are unattainable.
What if we FLIPPED the story?
Perhaps it’s “the job” of children to remind us. . .
How to play.
How to stay fully present in the moment.
How to dream.
How to notice the miracles of everyday living.
Beliefs are not truths – they are just stories often passed down from generations before us. Work is no more important than play. Work and play should coexist — we need to find play in work, and work to ensure we play every day.
PRIORITIZE PLEASURE! REJOICE IN THE MAGNIFICENCE OF LIFE!