I love silence. I love the sophistication that comes along with the moments of silence. Or maybe that was just my perception when I wrote this sitting in the luxury of the Asiana first class lounge in Seoul . It had been an epic trip and I was ready to go home. As a person who is often on the go, I thrive on the sounds and energy around me and yet, there is a time and place for everything.
The silence away from the main airport terminal was so refreshing and I found myself immersed in the beauty of it, completely present. So many times I struggle to recognize the moment and feel the experience while I’m actually in it. More often there is a lag and after some time, it sinks in. By then, did I change my vantage point on the experience? What is a real experience anyway?
I live in my head ALOT and am now extra conscious of transferring life’s daily moments from intellectual to emotional. In the silence, I am able to let feelings wash over me as opposed to when I am usually over-stimulated in the moment. So, how do I continue to capture the moment more real-time?? Wow, that is one of my projects!
I recently heard someone say they finally stopped instagramming their life and actually started living the real moment. Technology and social media surround most of us today and these advances can be so beneficial. I have a mentor that lives in Australia and despite time differences and living thousands of miles apart, we can Skype and communicate at a moments notice – thank you, technology!
And then there’s the experience of being at breakfast with a friend and yes, your meal looks so delicious, you feel you just have to share with all your Instagram buddies how phenomenal it is!!
- How about looking across at your friend and describing it in juicy detail to them instead?
- How about being completely present when you take the first bite, allowing all the savory, pungent, complicated flavors and textures to fill your senses and be right there, right then?
- No photo, no instagram – just you and the moment…
You could even go a bit deeper and spend time thinking about where the food came from. Get curious – how did that sliced avocado get from a seed to being presented on your plate right then? There were farmers tending to the crops, transportation to get it to the restaurant, a chef who prepared this meal for you and someone who delivered it your table. And now you are able to savor it – what a privilege, what a joy!
Speaking of time together during meals, I had dinner with a good friend the other night and he said some great quotable comments! One of them is “the only way to slow down time is to be really present”. What a phenomenal way to respond to all the fast paced action all around us! He also reminded me to have fun enjoying each moment, like through the eyes of a child – “the fountain of youth is immaturity”. Thank you, Patrick Phelps for living in the moment with me!
“The only way to slow time down is to be really present.” – Patrick Phelps
Here’s to you capturing more experiences in real-time and living in the moment…NOW!
~ Health, Happiness and Prosperity ~
Absolutely true, John! Our body is our temple and we get out what we put in, both in terms of food and calories and appreciating how we ingest those nutrients. It’s all connected – we are all connected…
I really like the idea of mindful eating. How many times are we guilty of dumping calories into our bodies in seconds with no thought about the food. I believe it goes along way to truly savoring our indulgences and connecting with out health.