In The Moment

A moment is a specific point in time. It's right here, right now. Now, I know there is a lot that goes on in our day and around us. I know there can be a lot of distractions and noise that surround us. Even with all of that, we still have to make the best of each moment we're given. Life is made up of moments and we need to cherish every moment we have. Once the moment passes, we will never get it again. That's why it's so important to cherish every moment of life. I've learned that it's not only important to cherish moments, but we should cherish the people that share those moments with us. As I've lost many loved ones along the way, I can look back and realize how important those moments were. I miss my loved ones a lot who are no longer here. When I think about the moments I had with them, they make me smile, laugh and cry. Through it all, I am so grateful for every moment I had with them! So you know how you can take pictures with a camera and moments can be captured? Some moments of our lives have been captured in pictures and that's wonderful. I love looking back at pictures from time to time to see all the moments I've had! Then, there are other moments that were never captured in a picture. Those are the moments that are captured in our heart. Yet, we won't be able to capture any moment if our mind is all over the place (I'm definitely talking to myself here!). We can't be in the moment if we're trying to think about what we're going to do next while we're supposed to be doing what's right in front of us. It's so important that our mind be on the present moment. I know it can be a struggle, but we have to keep working on it daily. We can't give our best in the moment if we're not. When we're in a conversation with someone, we should do our best to listen to what they're saying. Ask the person questions and paraphrase what they are saying. Sometimes you may not have to say anything because sometimes all people want is a listening ear and not feedback or advice. Being there is support in itself. Your presence alone can mean a lot. When you're reading something, have you ever read the same sentence over like 5 times?! Well, you're not by yourself!! I have found myself doing the same thing!! Here's what I have found to be helpful to stay in the moment while reading: ask yourself questions about what is going on and what has been read so far after every page or two. This will help you stay on track and actively present in what you're doing at the moment. To help us be in the moments every day, we need to think (and say aloud when we can!) "I am doing this.", " I am at.." or " I am with..." We need to pray and ask God to help us focus on that present moment. There may be someone we need to talk to or listen to, so it's important we stay in tune to the present moment and what God is calling us to do at that time. If we purposefully set our mind and tell ourselves what we're doing, it helps us be in the moment. Put down the phone when in conversation and doing tasks that don't involve the phone. Let's give those moments our undivided attention. When we're out with family and friends, let's enjoy them and the moments we have with them. Whatever distractions come, we have to lay them aside. We need to serve notice to the distraction that it will not have our attention. Our present moment needs our attention. There's beauty in the present moment. Let's find it and cherish it. Let's be in the moment so that we don't miss out on any moment of our lives!