Live in This Moment

Good morning everyone! Yesterday at church I was in charge of leading the Sunday School lesson. That mean I could choose whatever I wanted to talk about and talk to the women’s Sunday School class about it. Since there’s  a pretty large age gap between me and some of the ladies in the class, I knew presenting something like 21 Things I learned My 21st Year would not be taken very well. So instead I chose something that I have been learning this past year. This is a Christian focused post, but I think no matter what your beliefs are you can definitely get something out of this. Let’s start with a few quotes:

“Wherever you are, be all there.” Jim Elliot

Psalm 118: 24 “This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it”

One way we lose our joy is by not being present in the now. We consume our minds with where we need to be, what we need to get done, and how we’re going to do something. This leaves us with no time to focus on the here and now.

We need to live in this moment.

It’s difficult to recognize these moments if we’re constantly plagued with thoughts of yesterday or tomorrow.

For example, I know there were a few years in my sorority where I would sit at an event and just wish for it to fly by so I could go onto other things. Instead I should have been more engaged with the people around me and the event that we were doing. Thinking about my homework wasn’t going to get it done any faster.

What is a this moment that I’m talking about? Let’s recognize when you have a this moment with your family, your coworkers, your friends. Think of an example of when you recognize being in the moment. An example for me is I remember a time this spring when I was at my best friends house and we were just sitting around the floor telling stories and dying of laughter. I remember thinking how happy I was there with my friends in that moment.

Dwelling and reliving the past will also rob you of the joy you can have today. Many times I’ll catch myself dwelling and replaying past events and most of the time it makes me a bit angry, upset, or bitter. It takes a lot of recognition to notice when your mind is taking you for a trip and is turning your thought process into a not-so-pleasant one. So I have to catch myself and remind myself that I’m no longer in that place. I take a moment to be thankful that I’m not where I used to be. I’m no longer in that pit I had found myself in and I have to give thanks to God for that.

So stop letting those precious “this moments” with family/friends whoever/ yourself get away from you.

There will always be questions and challenges and issues and things to do. But if we are constantly thinking about the next moment and what we need to do, how can we enjoy this one? Life moves pretty fast and we don’t want to miss it.

One way to finding joy in the present is to recognize the little things in the day.

Here are some examples: A beautiful sunny day with no wind. Flowers blooming in the spring. Seeing an antelope on a run. Noticing a beautiful building. Enjoying a sip of a vanilla latte. The smell of rain.

Not only can we notice little things daily, but we can also make intentional changes in our life to try to live more in the moment. What are some ways you can make some changes to be more engaged in times of this moment?

For me I need to get off social media & my computer! The Instagram pictures will still be there. Twitter updates will still be there. It’s okay to sit in the living room with your family with nothing going on, but watching TV.

Also, whenever I am out to lunch with friends I should put my phone away and just focus on them. Truly  listen to what they are saying and be fully engaged.

So this week I want to challenge you to work on shhh-ing the constant chattering in your head. Quiet the voice that fills you with stress or unnecessary thoughts.

I have to tell my brain to shut-up and stop a lot of times. Not even kidding. I consistently think about my post-graduation plans for after December. Not knowing what I’m doing after graduation, means I have about 50 variables that I can pursue. But I haven’t even started student teaching yet, so I have to remind myself “Girl you still have a long ways to go”!!

Don’t at all think that I’m saying not to plan ahead or to ever think about the past. That’s not what I’m saying at all. Just take the time during the day to stop and be in the moment whether you’re by yourself or with other people.

Being in this moment will allow you to see, hear, and feel in a whole new way. Choose to make being in this moment a priority for you and the ones you love. We need to take joy in today and focus on what life has right in front of us.

Can you recognize a “this moment” you’ve had? What are some changes you can make to be more in the moment?