I put my hand on my heart and closed my eyes for a brief moment when getting my son dressed yesterday.
My 6-year-old daughter said, "Are you ok? Are you frustrated?" (a fair assessment when getting a 3-year old to focus long enough to get a shirt over their head).
I smiled at her. "Yes, I’m great! Just taking in this moment. I love being here with you."
It was one of those moments where you say, I’m exactly where I want to be.
You know those moments, right?
It happens when your head and body are in the same place at the same time and you feel fully in the moment.
You’re not thinking about a work deadline.
You’re not dwelling on a tantrum your son just had.
You’re not rushing your kids out the door.
You’re not checking your phone while hanging out with your kids.
You’re just here. Present.
This past weekend I had the pleasure of experiencing several of these moments.
A mile-long scooter ride with the kids.
An impromptu costume dinner party where both kids and adults dressed up.
A meditative morning experience with my daughter.
Saturday morning rainbow-colored pancakes.
A date with my husband.
It was a memory-filled, I’m exactly where I want to be, kind of weekend.
This didn’t happen by accident, of course.
I actively chose to be present.
I chose to put aside work and turn off notifications.
I chose to say "yes" to 6 bowls of various food coloring (and dishes) to create colorful pancakes.
I chose to not feel guilty when my daughter cried because we were leaving her with a babysitter.
To be present, doesn’t mean you are free from distractions, it just means you’ve learned to manage them.
This is the basis for experiencing a memory-filled, photo-worthy, I’m exactly where I want to be, kind of life.
And, it’s available to everyone.
It starts with minimizing all the distractions you can (ah hem…put away those phones), bringing awareness to what your mind is thinking about, focusing back to the moment and what you are actually doing and then repeat as necessary.
It takes practice, like anything in life
You’ve got this.
