On August 1st an acquaintance said to me, with distress in her voice and on her face, “I can’t believe summer is almost over!” She said this on a magnificent day that was sunny, warm, and bright. I said to her, “If you’re focused on summer ending you will miss out on all the summer yet to come including this perfect day.” Her whole expression changed and she said, “You’re right. Thanks for the reality check. I needed to be brought back to the present instead of projecting into the future.”
How many times do we focus on the end of something pleasurable such as a vacation, a visit with a dear friend or loved one, or even a good book rather than simply savoring the present moment and immersing ourselves in it? You can’t fully enjoy the present if you are projecting into the future. And if you are thinking about the fact that the current good experience will eventually end, then you are at least partly detached, distracted, and removed from the full joy of it thus depriving yourself of all the happiness and pleasure you could possibly have.
Savor the present moment. Fully embrace it. Notice everything about it—the sights, sounds, smells, and feelings. Take it all in. Be grateful for right now. The only thing any of us really has with any certainty is this very moment. Cherish it and celebrate it.
©Donna Cardillo. All rights reserved.
