Live in the Moment as if Tomorrow Never Comes

     The other day when we were having dinner out on our deck, Judy began to wave her hand in front of my face and asked “What are you staring at?”  I suddenly realized that my gaze was focused on our backyard landscape and I replied, “I am looking at nothing in particular.”  I chuckled and then marveled in amazement that I had just uttered those words.  I was looking at nothing, but more importantly, I had absolutely no thoughts of either past or future events racing through my head.  In other words, I was just living in, and enjoying that moment in time.

 

 

     I have previously discussed the concept of mindfulness meditation which asks us to live moment by moment, without judgement of our thoughts as they pass through the mind.  We are to acknowledge their presence, let them go, and return to the present by focusing on our breath or a mantra.  This is known as a formal meditation practice where we sit with legs crossed, or lying down on a comfortable, but not too comfortable surface.  However, we can also have an informal meditative practice.

     An informal meditative practice can be just like I experienced at dinner, or slowly enjoying every bit of a meal from creation to digestion.  The point is to make it your own without restricting yourself to hard and fast rules such as a sitting meditation for 45 minutes to an hour.  My scene probably lasted no more than a minute or so, but the peace of (an empty) mind seemed more like an eternity.  I was in a total state of relaxation thinking about nothing, and that is what experienced meditators seek at the highest level.  For me, I embraced that moment for it was worth at the time because since then, my mind has returned to an intermittent wandering state.

     I share these thoughts with you all because life as we know it can be quite chaotic and unpredictable.  One day, we can be living our dream, and the next, life throws us a curve which steers us off course from the grand universal design.  Suddenly, we are asked to make choices that take us away from what we love, even if is only for awhile.  In order to find our way back, we need to live moment by moment, in the present, for we are not granted tomorrow.

     Last week, I visited my lawyer who presented me my official articles of organization for the Limited Liability Company I formed for a fitness training and health coaching business (stay tuned).  As I pulled into the parking lot, I was listening to the latest Zac Brown Band release called Tomorrow Never Comes.  Wouldn’t you know it, the Universe provided me an apropos start to this new venture.  Enjoy this song courtesy of YouTube.

 

 

 

In health, wellness, and much gratitude for those that helped me reach this point,

 

Tim