On mornings like these when I stumble out of bed, snooze on the BART, and finally peel my eyelids open wide enough to glare into a cozy cup of tea at my desk, I have to remind myself to take an extra moment to truly be present in what I do. I am well aware that it is quite easy for me to numbly doze my way through life, finding the bumps in the road only as I trip over them. Low-energy as this approach is, I know that it will take a lot more time and focus later to work the crick out of my neck and rub the complaint out of my spirit. Instead of cede to the twin temptations of warmth and gravity, I am going to take this moment to remind us both that emotional, mental, and physical presence begin with correct posture and deep breaths.
Today, I invite you to join me in finding just one thing to focus on that reminds us of the importance of this moment. It is, after all, the only one we ever get.
Does this task seem daunting? Try out these resources for present moment living:
I (like some of you out there) woke up this morning feeling a bit too full. After a few minutes of rolling about and being generally resistant to moving, I decided to start my day. So, I kicked my feet out of bed, hopped up, and got on with it. Amazingly, I could move! My feet, arms, hands, fingers, even my nose could twitch and sway, left and right, up and down. Perhaps I didn't realize it at the time, but this fluid movement, this intentional motion could have taken me anywhere this morning: to work, to the store, to New York, or Venice, or 2,000 leagues beneath the sea.