amidst the busyness of life,
do you enjoy what you experience?
“live in the moment.”
“be present.”
we’ve all heard these phrases,
but we rarely take the time to put them into practice.
today try to fully appreciate just five minutes of something.
and to incorporate all five of your senses.
instead of thinking about the next task on your list that needs to be done,
marvel in the wonder of what’s in front of you at that instant.
are you sleepwalking through your morning meal?
be aware of the physical motions as your hand guides the egg whip,
and listen to the reassuring beat against the side of the bowl.
be fascinated with the way the ingredients blend together to create the finished product.
take in the aromas that swirl through the air,
and relish the first morsel on your tongue.
begin to concentrate less on how overwhelming your day may be,
and start acknowledging its individual components.
what can you notice about your drive to work or to school?
perhaps the savory taste of the air and fragrance of the season as you unlock your car,
the feel of the powerful machine in your hands,
the scenery that usually goes unnoticed,
the harmony of the hustle and bustle unfolding around you.
i’m writing this for myself as much as for you.
i’m often guilty of letting moments pass by unnoticed.
so today i was conscious of these ideas as i began my day.
of the way the sheets smoothed out under my hands.
of the comforting fragrance and flavor of my latte,
and of the artful pattern my husband had formed in the milky froth.
of the anticipatory purring of my two felines as they awaited their moist treat.
delight in the new discoveries of familiar daily scenes.
give your story full attention.
five senses in five minutes.
by putting more effort into living our lives this way,
we can begin to shift our reactions, our responses, our attitudes.
we gain a new sense of being in charge,
of having purpose and meaning.
animate your existence.
5 in 5.
I’ve been inspired by this book:
One Thousand Gifts – A Dare to Live Fully Right Where you Are by Ann Voskamp
“How do we find joy in the midst of deadlines, debt, drama, and daily duties? When our days are gritty, long, and sometimes even dark? In One Thousand Gifts, Ann invites you to embrace everyday blessings and embark on the transformative discipline of chronicling gifts. It’s only in this expressing of gratitude for the life we already have we discover the life we’ve always wanted.”
i’ve heard wonderful things about that book, jan.
and i agree wholeheartedly with her quote!
thank you so much for sharing.
Here’s something I’ve been kicking around lately: Is it better to let our feelings drive our actions, or to let our actions determine our feelings. For example, I feel like snapping at the slow barista, so I do, but then I feel sorry and regretful. But if instead I choose to ignore my feelings and be patient, even encouraging, then I feel happy. But sometimes we need to be expressing our true feelings. What do you think?
here’s my perspective on that, jan.
i have a cognitive-behavioral background.
and so i believe that our thoughts determine our feelings and our behaviors.
what we are thinking leads to the emotions we experience, which in turn leads to our actions.
if we change the way we think, we can change the way we feel, and thus behave.
i encourage identifying our authentic feelings whenever possible.
being in touch with our emotions is a powerful tool for understanding ourselves.
however, we can acknowledge our feelings without expressing them, when the situation warrants it.
in your example, your thought that the barista was slow led to feeling impatient and angry, which then resulted in snapping at him/her.
you identified that acting on your impatience makes you feel sorry and regretful.
but the outcome of being patient and encouraging is happiness.
the cognitive-behavioral model is circular.
if you reframe your thinking without ignoring your true feelings (“i am feeling irritated that this barista is slow, but if i snap at him/her i will only feel worse”), it will lead to a different emotion (calmness, patience) and therefore a different action (not speaking sharply to the barista).
great question!
Hectic but productive morning of therapy for Rory….kids fed and napping, a cup of tea and reading this. So I looked up and out the window, and there is a full rainbow….all the colors so brilliant. And I doubtless would have missed it had I not taken in this 5 minutes. A promise? I choose to believe it and assume an attitude of gratitude.
love the image this brings up, becki!
a great reminder of what we might be missing on a daily basis in our hurried lives . . .
And within a couple of minutes it was gone. Would have been so easy to miss! Was sad when I looked up and it was just gray clouds….but then happy I had taken the time and breath to see it all.
The common theme throughout your posts, April, is being actively and carefully deliberate with our thoughts, words, and actions. Thinking before speaking; making the conscious choice to notice the life and beauty that surrounds us. Before long, these mind exercises become second-nature, thought upon thought, choice upon choice, giving way to trained and practiced habit, and you find yourself all the better for it.