A Moment's Notice

I admit it… I make a lot of mistakes! In fact, I am so far from perfect that sometimes you couldn’t locate me even with a GPS system. However, I don’t stress out about it because I try to learn from each mistake and if possible become a better man with each passing day. However, there is one mistake that I have made too many times. So I really need to work on it and with the Holidays fast approaching it is a mistake that a lot of people will make. It’s called being distracted…and it leads to the mistake of not “Living in the Moment”.

In today’s society, there are cell phones, I-pads and lap tops everywhere. So it’s really easy to get distracted and not pay attention to the real beauty of the world around us, which includes the people in our lives. I was at a restaurant last night and more than half of the people were on their cell phones, texting or emailing instead of focusing on the person right across the table. Don’t get me wrong, cell phones are awesome because they allow us to stay in touch with people quickly and easily. We just need to remember to put them away sometimes and focus on the beauty around us including the people in our lives, especially the ones right in front of us.

Living in the moment is all about taking notice of the world we live in. We can’t do anything about yesterday and tomorrow may never come but we can darn sure enjoy today if we focus on the moments that surround us. Here are 6 tips for “Living in the Moment”.

1. Smile when you wake up. You can set the tone of appreciation and awareness for the next 24 hours by simply waking up and smiling
2. Take notice of the world. No matter what you're doing, notice the moments that surround you, maybe it’s a bridge or a flower or the way the light filters through the sky.
3. Minimize activities that dull your awareness of the moment. Choose times to turn off your cell phone, computer and TV. Do things that are active and that encourage you to look around and engage the world in that moment.
4. Be otimistic. Whether you realize it or not, someone’s always watching, always listening. That means you're always performing, so "dance like nobody's watching" and dance well.
5. Commit random, spontaneous acts of kindness. Whether it's donating a dollar to a charity, picking up litter, or simply complementing someone, keep alert in every moment of your day for some way in which you can make the world a better place.
6. Be thankful for what is. When you find yourself wishing for something you don't have, or wishing your life could be different, start by being thankful for what is already in your life. This will bring you back to the present moment.