Work, work, I got work to do I kept thinking to myself.

My mind was like a distressed wedding planner before the big day, organizing and reorganizing the tasks for my evening agenda.

I was alone in my castle, planning, scheming, thinking ahead.

Then, in an instant moment, the walls came crashing down and I was rudely brought back to present life.

“Albert, look.”

My friend and I were on our way to a pho restaurant for a late dinner. It was the first in many weeks where we had escaped the confines of our comfortable apartment during this late evening time.

“Check out the sunset.”

I made an effort to turn around. And like the hundreds of previous times I’ve been able to witness this miracle of Nature, I did my best to just soak it all in. The colors, the details, everything…for just a moment. Tonight’s show featured orange, yellow, blue, and a splash of pink and red.

It was beautiful.

At the same time, the other layers of present moment began gradually unfolding themselves.

…Iggy Azalea and her i-G-G-y lyrics…

…the steady hum of the Hybrid Civic…

…the rumblings of my unsatisfied stomach…

My mind slowly swept away all the to-do’s and gave myself permission to just enjoy and appreciate the present moment.

How many times have you allowed a memorable moment, significant or not, slip away because you were just too distracted? Maybe it wash’t intentional, but ultimately, we are in control.

3 Takeaways On Appreciating The Moment (that I gained from this little tale):

1. It Takes A Conscious Mental Effort 

Simple as that. There’s a tiny switch upstairs that you purposedly need to flip. You might even hear your “inner voice” whisper something along the lines of, “Alright…snap snap! There’s a super cool thing going on right now, LOOK AROUND!”

2. Put Away Your Phone

These days, our phones have become anything but a phone. More apps = more distractions. More distractions = less focus to enjoy the present moment. Easy math.

And yes, we get bored and crave to feed our attention wandering minds, but is it necessary to be plugged into our phones all the time, at every opportunity? Just click pause. Sit still, observe. Listen.

You might be surprised at what the world throws back at you.

3. It’s Impossible To Be Present All The Time

We are all natural morning, day, evening-dreamers. Our minds wander and go off on their own adventures. And heck, it’s actually healthy!

So take advantage of those special moments that do happen, that do require your attention and ability to be fully present.

“We do not know the value of our moments until they have become a memory.”  – Sam Houssami

These moments occur all around us, every day. 

Maybe a small experience that pulls us out of ourselves-the drive thru lady complimenting my sunglasses, an older gentlemen striking up a conversation at a bus stop; or we see or hear something that sticks in our minds- the melody of a floating violin note, the tears of an adolescent teenager. 

But to truly experience and understand what these moments might potentially mean for us, we’ve got to be there. To be present and aware. 

So now it’s your turn. 

Are there little moments each day that you might have become accustomed to turning a blind eye to? Are there stories that are waiting to be told if you were just more present? What needs to be changed? 

Cheers,
AL