Ocean waves have a very special connection with time and the present moment. Like breathing, the waves inhale and exhale out from whence they came. That particular moment is gone. Never to return. No other moment will ever be the same again.
The phrase “be in the present moment” is a popular, yet challenging directive for most of us. We have developed the unfortunate habit of trying to be here and there at the same time. Since we’re not actually ‘there’ but always here, it’s the here and now that suffers.
What does distraction cost you? Think about it. Every single day you realize multiple examples and consequences of the answers to that question. When your mind wanders, even the simple question of asking someone to repeat what they just very clearly said could be a tell-tale sign that you weren’t listening fully.
The great gift of each moment IS for us to be right where we are and fully engaged in what’s before us. Perhaps it’s both an art and a science. However, we choose to identify it, it is an invaluable skill and opportunity to capture, witness and participate in that which can never return.
Practice being the gift in each moment when you’re at home and your family is seeking your attention. Practice being in each moment for your boss or co-worker who depends on your full engagement to grasp and respond appropriately to the tasks at hand.
And practice being the gift in each moment for yourself – especially yourself. Moments call for you to be the quiet that you so desperately need to regenerate; they call for you to be a compassionate thinker to imagine the best of what’s possible; and the doer who sends light out into your world.
Let the ebb and flow of ocean waves remind you how quickly the moment appears and disappears. Connect to the breath and movement of each moment.
Be present in every moment,
