Life is the accumulation of each moment.
A few nights ago I made my dinner and decided to eat out on the back deck since it was a beautiful spring evening. Melanie is in Europe so it was just me and the dogs. I also took along the sidoku I was working on at the time. I like to work on things that challenge my brain so its normal for me to do something while I eat when I am alone, since I look at food as something I have to do, and not usually because I am looking forward to the act of eating.
I sat down and started to eat and work on the puzzle. But it was so beautiful that evening that I soon found myself looking away from my puzzle and simply enjoying the environment. The birds were singing, the green spring grass was fluttering in the breeze, the trees were gently swaying their leaves singing softly; it was so serene that I set my puzzle aside and just took it all in.
Then I began to notice just how delicious the piece of Salmon I was eating tasted. So instead of just inhaling my food to get it over with, I began to purposefully experience every bite. Then I moved on to the pile of zucchini on my plate. It tasted so sweet. I eat these foods frequently and yet, it was as if I was eating them like it they were new to me. I realized in this time, that I have been going so fast in the past months, focusing on the big picture, that I had been neglecting to enjoy my moments.
I was falling into the trap of destination disease. Its not the first time I’ve had this malady, but it has been a while. I guess I forgot the cost of the last time…we humans do that after a time…we forget lessons of the past if we don’t stay conscious of them. I was missing the very essence of my life…the little moments. Its nice to have successes. Its fulfilling to have people share with you what kind of positive impact you are having on their lives. This is what makes up the success journey. The little victories that lead to the goal. But we cannot miss the moments in between. These are the daily blessings of life. Every moment holds blessings when we are aware.
Its funny to me how with all the teaching I do on how to succeed and how to live and how to prioritize…that I needed a simple meal on the deck for God to tell me to wake up and practice what I preach.
Hopefully, this will serve as a wake up for you. Pursue your goals and passions with all you’ve got, but experience all the moments along the way and the journey will be much much sweeter.
