Spending our lives...

So here it is.  The end of a vacation.  How is it that it somehow takes forever to come, but as soon as it is here it flies by before we even realize it?  Is that what is feels like to be fully immersed in something and enjoy every moment?  It is strange that we so often take for granted small moments of our day to day lives.  Why aren't we able to enjoy the entirety of our lives?

As previously mentioned in a different blog, I think it stems from constantly looking toward the future.  I recently saw a Facebook post that read: "Tomorrow (noun):  a mystical land where 99% of human productivity, motivation and achievement are stored."  I think this is quite true.  Too often we say that we will do something tomorrow or tomorrow is a new day.  This leaves us with the idea that today doesn't really matter because tomorrow is where it will all happen.

It saddens me to realize that for the last several years of my life, I have been looking forward to tomorrow without living appropriately and fully through today.  I don't like that I wait to do things that I want to do because I am too tired or I have responsibilities to handle.  Time is of the essence and it's time to ensure that I don't regret not living today!

Being present

Today I discovered the joy of being present.  I know that I went on a lot last entry about where time goes on the weekdays and why we seem to be wishing our lives away.  This is the point.  Today, I made sure to be present in every moment of my free time after I left work.  It made such a difference.

First, I chose to keep my blood pressure down by working out.  It was awesome to feel my body work.  How often do we do that; actually feel what we're doing?  I think sometimes we take for granted that our bodies DO everything for us.  After taking an hour to appreciate what I can do, I drove home.

At this point, I was able to feel the change in temperature as the storm front moved in.  It was amazing!  And then I saw the above scene as I rounded the corner to head home.  A break in the top layer of clouds allowed sunlight to shine brightly on the second layer of billowy clouds.  It was quite the sight.  My poofy Ohio clouds!  I stopped to appreciate them with my own eyes as well as snap a photograph which certainly doesn't do it justice!

After that I came home and took a shower.  Once again, I took a moment to feel the way the water felt.  Sure, we realize that water can be warm (so long as the water heater didn't flip the surge box).  But have you ever stood there and felt the water as it disturbed every hair follicle as it trickled it's way down to the shower floor?  It was awesome!

After that I realized, whoa!  I have a lot of time.  That 6 hours is quite plentiful if you're present for it.  The moral of today's story...try to be present and live each moment to the fullest.

Do we live for the weekends?

Today, I've realized how much time I spend wishing away the weekdays in order to indulge and enjoy myself on the weekends.  What is it about the weekdays that makes us wish away our lives in order to enjoy the a mere two days?

Perhaps it is work that causes us to do this.  It is an integral part of our lives; this notion of work.  If we work, we make money and if we make money we can then spend it.  It is the reality of any economy.  It is true that most of us spend at least 8 of our waking hours Monday through Friday working.  And let us assume that we spend at least 8 hours sleeping.  There are 24 hours in the day and since 16 of them are spoken for, what happens to the remaining 8 hours of our weekdays?

For my day, I lose 2 hours to the transition between one day and the next.  I go to sleep around 10 or 10:30.  So, by the time I get off of work at 4:30, I have 6 hours to spare before I start the cycle over again.  Still, 6 hours...and yet I feel as though I don't get much time.  That's almost a work day for me...

Sometimes we commit ourselves to doing things during that time, such as grocery shopping, cleaning, lounging, hanging out with friends, or working out.  For me, I go to band (which I will be resuming after my vacation), sometimes karaoke, hanging out with friends and working out.  All of these things are enjoyable activities, however what about that feeling of: "I wish it were the weekend!"?

I think it is because we are not present in those simple moments.  Our minds are always focused on the future.  How often do we say to ourselves:  "When I get off of work, I have to stop at the grocery store to pick up salad for dinner." or "I have to make sure that I clean the litter box when I get home tonight."?  It stands to reason that when we think about what we SHOULD be doing in the future, we lose what we're doing and feeling in the present.

In closing, I think that this quote from Kung Fu Panda serves to remind us of something truly important:

"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery. Today? Today is a gift. That’s why we call it the Present."