There are many lessons that life can teach us. It can be a lesson of great difficulty or even one with ease. Such learning often provides us with a great understanding of ourselves which is invaluable. My latest lesson has been to live in the present. It isn’t easy because I am put in the position of considering the future constantly. However, I have found that it is possible to plan for the future while enjoying the present.
If I am going to spend time with a friend, I prefer to do so when there is nothing else on my plate for the day. This alleviates the worry of being late for an appointment or being distracted for fear of something going wrong. We can enjoy that second cup of tea and fully taste that delicious slice of lemon cake without being hassled by time constraints. This is one way that I can remain the present. It also helps when I put the cell phone on silent and toss it in my bag.
It would be a crime if I did not mention that I don’t feel a biological clock; who invented this term? The average woman my age is married with children. Congratulations. I am questioned often about why I am not in such a situation. Truth be told, I have never been in the position where such considerations were on the table. Maybe there is an unwritten law that society expects me to be in that scenario; however, society does not know the joy of being an individual. Why is it such a shock when a woman presents herself without a husband or babies? Am I not enough by myself? If I am not enough by myself, is another supposed to complete my existence? I remember watching the Tom Cruise movie that made that quote famous. Perhaps it did more harm than good.
If one is able to master staying in the present, a flow begins to develop. There is less stress and more wholeness about life. Food is truly tasted, people are fully enjoyed, the warmth of the sun is truly felt and appreciated on a different level. The little moments in life assist us in building a solid foundation for what carries us through the good times as well as the bad. It is a challenge worth undertaking.