Lately I've been thinking about now. Or rather, how we sometimes miss now.
The present is so real; so big, so expansive, so here. Why is it then, that we are so often somewhere else? How can we miss something so close to us?
I've started noticing this more and more in myself lately. I'll be on my morning run, but I'll be thinking about the paperwork I have to finish when I get back. Or I'll be out on a shopping trip with my mom and sister, or having a conversation with a friend, but thinking about my task list and the things I have to accomplish before the day is out.
The truth is, we are busier now than we ever have been. Our generation has more to occupy our thoughts than any other generation has. We are bombarded with things that demand our thought-space; work, school, projects, advertisements, trends, social media (especially social media), and so many other things that keep us trapped inside this cage of "get to the next thing", "finish this, start that", "be better", "I need something else", "I need to be somewhere else". We experience these pressures on a daily basis. And oftentimes it robs us of the joy of being right here...right now.
Right now I'm sitting at my dining room table, eating a super yummy breakfast of fruit with (homemade) almond butter. I'm writing this guest post for Hannah's beautiful and inspiring blog. I can hear birds outside. I can see patches of blue sky through the window to my left. I can hear the rustling of papers in the other room while my sister works at her desk.
...Such a seemingly simply moment is so jam-packed FULL of flavor. And sounds. And color. And character. Each moment holds so much that we so often miss. I know I miss it. But the thing is, I don't want to miss it.
I want to be the kind of person who lives fully, and presently within every single moment of every single day. Each moment is a masterpiece that longs to be bit into and enjoyed.
Biting into things, in fact, leads me to something my online yoga teacher calls "the apple meditation", and it's easy. And you can do it with anything. (and we all love easy, flexible things that you can do whenever. So here goes.)
When eating an apple, hold it in your hand. How does it feel? What does it look like? What color is it? Take a bite. What does it taste like? Is it sweet, or tart? Crisp and crunchy? Chew slowly. How does each bite feel in your mouth? How does each bite taste?
This meditation could easily become "the pizza mediation" (<which sounds like an incredibly sacred experience, if I do say so myself.) or "the running mediation" or the "going for a drive" or "going for a walk" meditation. The point is to sloooow down and TASTE.
When I was little, my mother used to teach me this by taking my sister and I on "listening walks": nature walks that we would take together in silence, often pausing to close our eyes and open up our senses to the explosion of sound that erupts around a person when they are still and quiet; the songs of birds, the wind sighing through the trees, the distant cries of hawks.
I think the Psalmist puts it brilliantly: taste and see that the Lord is good. (P. 34:8)
Taste. Savor.
Slow down and enjoy. Each moment is yours to grab hold of, hang on to, and LIVE to the fullest. Live it to the fullest by opening your eyes, and your ears, and your heart to all the little things that make life so absolutely gorgeous.
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hey guys! Kate here. I blog over at The Goodness Revolt, and I'm honored for this opportunity to guest post here today on Hannah's awesome blog. She is an amazing gal, and I enjoy her thoughtful and wonderfully written posts so much. Thanks for taking the time to read, and thank you for having me here, Hannah!
x o
k a t e
10 comments
WHOA WHOA WHOA WHOA WHOA.
ReplyDeleteYes yes yes. I have the same habit as you, Katie; I end up always having my mind in the past or in the future, and unless I have a "Snickers wave" day (where everything happens so fast but my senses are all on hyper aware; it's not like the commercials) I never pay attention to the present. We need to savor our time. Thank you for this. <3
ReplyDeletexoxo Morning
Wow, this was just what I need in my crazy life. It's ridiculous how much time we spend worrying and not taking stuff as it comes to us and living fully. Thanks for a great reminder.
ReplyDeleteLove this! Thought instantly of the bible verse after reading the title so I'm so glad you made that connection :) interesting and totally relevant thoughts ~ as always ;)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! This was a really lovely post, and it's so true.
ReplyDeleteI try to notice the little things in life because they really do make life beautiful. Unfortunately, I can get so caught up with life, I just forget to notice the little things. Thank you for the reminder. Noticing the little things will make my day a lot brighter. :-)
Kate, this is fantastic <3 I needed this reminder to appreciate the now.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful reminder -- thank you! If the sun decides to come out today, I may need to go on a listening walk this afternoon. This summer has been so very busy for me.
ReplyDeleteHOW AM I JUST FINDING YOUR BLOG
ReplyDeleteWHAT IS LIFE
Your posts are beautiful, as is everything else about this blog. <3
^^^^ Just found your blog too! This post touched my heart.
ReplyDeleteThis is so so so beautiful <3 I love your blog so much.
ReplyDelete