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Living in the moment… This week’s Sandbox prompt has asked:

Can you recall a time in your life
when you were able to live fully in the present moment?
How or why did that happen?
What would it take for it to happen again?

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After much confusion and consideration I’ve come to the conclusion that’s a very strange question. When I first heard it a couple years ago I was absolutely sure I was living in the regrets of the past and fear of the future all the time. For two years I’ve thought there was something really out of whack with my thinking. Then this morning I looked up a definition for “living in the moment” and found the following:

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Live in The Moment

by Zorka Hereford
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To live in the moment, or now, means being conscious, aware and in the present with all of your senses. It means not dwelling on the past, nor being anxious or worrying about the future.
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When we concentrate our attention on the present we focus on the task at hand. We give our full attention to what we are doing and we let go of outcomes.
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Seizing each moment in life allows us to prolong its value and make it more meaningful. Rather than seeking quantity of time, when we live in the moment we enjoy and savor every minute. We don’t sacrifice quality for quantity…

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After reading even just THIS much of her explanation, I decided I’ve been a real knucklehead to buy into what I felt was a MAJOR flaw of mine. I raised two kids. Worked two jobs in the opposite end of the valley from where they went to school and still managed to shuffle myself back and forth to not miss concerts and games. I was NOT thinking of my past or my future during those years. I was enjoying every moment I had with them. When I was at work, I was totally there and committed.

So! If I have been guilty of anything that this gal says, it’s that sometimes I DID seek quantity of time instead of quality of time. That was just the kind of mom I was. I didn’t want to miss out on anything they were doing. (And I MAY have been living life a LITTLE vicariously through them? 😕 )

The problem I’ve felt I’ve been having with living in the past and the future has only come about in the last maybe five years. The older I’ve gotten, the more time I’ve had for contemplation, and yes, I’ve thought a lot about regrets and worried a lot about our future. But after careful consideration I’ve realized my head’s in the game and I AM living my life in the moment. And I’m not going to worry about this anymore! I’m just going to get on with living no matter what life throws my way.
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beingfullypresentblog

I can honestly say I am absolutely fully present and aware of the clutter that has accumulated in our house over the weekend (and will be totally engaged with it after this post!). I can still sort of smell the spices from the chicken Drollery fried for dinner yesterday, as well as the candle (Japanese Cherry Blossom) I lit to clear it out. I can hear the snow blowers motoring outside and stirring up the sparrows hanging out in the tree by our bird feeder making quite the racket. And I can taste coffee I’m sipping while I feel my fingers clicking away on these keys. Now wouldn’t you say that’s living in the moment.❓

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Picture Source: Sean Meshorer

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