LIVE in the Moment

Do you live a life distracted? 

Are you so engulfed with the task at hand – that you miss out on life and building relationships? 

Have you ever missed the punchline of a joke because you were distracted by a screen? Everyone else in the group is laughing – and you are basically saying, "Wait what? Say it again…” 

Discover how to avoid awkward moments and “LIVE in the Moment” 

A couple of years ago my husband Don and I went out to dinner – now you need to understand that for the first 13 years of our marriage – we lived apart as I traveled for work and I ran a business in a different state - while he held down the fort in our home town. So time together was cherished.   

One evening, while at dinner we noticed the table across from us – there was a really cute family.  Mom, Dad, two teen age daughters and a son that looked to be about ten. Each member of the family had their phone out. 

NOW… no laughing… you know what I mean… we've all done it… Barely talking to the person you are sitting next to, because you are SCROLLING social media one image after another and sending the funny ones to the person sitting next to you, with a side glance and a smile. 

Back to this family. They looked as if they were five strangers sitting at the same table - what was happening virtually - was more important then what’s happening in reality. 

Ask yourself:

Has this ever happened to me?

Maybe the scroll was important, a text message from a former boyfriend or possibly their social media page just went viral. This family was sitting next to each other, but were NOT together! 

Every once in a while one of the family members would say… “check this out”,  and then show another family member their screen. 

It took a few seconds and someone would say  “huh… What?”  -  I probably couldn’t count on two hands how many times they started a video or had to flip back to a missed post ---simply because the family member wasn’t - LIVING in the Moment.    

During that dinner Don and I made up a game called --- You pay!   When we went to dinner – the first person who pulled out their phone – had to pay for dinner… now not a real punishment, since we shared the same bank account… but the moral of that story… Is to BE present and aware… in other words – LIVE in the Moment!

We often LIVE in the day of distractions, to many beautiful moments in life are drowned in oceans of things to do or things that must be done. 

Life presents itself to us in the present… but we allow this present to slip away - as we squander precious moments of our lives RUMINATING our past or worrying about the future. We allow time to pass us by - unobserved or un-enjoyed.

When we're at work, we think about our family or friends, or what we need to get done at home tonight; when we are home and should be enjoying ourselves, we often worry about work piling up or a deadline quickly approaching.

Being present and aware – is a state of FOCUSING on the current situation – think about that.

CLICK HERE: Check out – Simplify & Get It Done 

Learning to “LIVE in the Moment” is best accomplished --- when you settle your mind and FOCUS completely on the task at hand.

In the present, the here, the NOW…. there is only one thing for you to do right now - and when you are finished with this action, you can move on to the next.  You will be a better leader when your team feels their value as you focus your attention on the here and now.   

Here is your challenge for today, “BE present and aware”. How do you do this… with an activity called:

– LIVE in the Moment.  Identify two of the craziest times in your day, and then schedule an appointment at these two specific times into your calendar on your phone, titled: “LIVE in the Moment”.  Add a favorite emoji’s to spice it up.  Be sure to schedule an alert to go off at the desired time.

Now, when the alert goes off –

Pay attention: to every aspect of what you’re doing right at that moment ---

Honestly ASK yourself:

1. Where are my thoughts focused, right now?

2. Am I distracted?

(Thinking of the past, future or engaging in something else – for example electronic or online?)

3. What present shift can I make to LIVE in the Moment?

The goal is MINDFUL AWARENESS - become keenly aware of your answer to the previous questions- and the shifts you can make to be more present. 

Mindful Awareness - Is not to forced thoughts from your mind, instead becoming aware of thoughts and learning to mindfully focus on current feelings and actions.  You are LIVING the Moment – Meaning – fully engaged in current activity, actively listening and building relationships.   

Remember that family… at dinner… - were they mindfully present and aware…? 

NO... they were together but not together!  

Commit to being present, aware of your thoughts, aware of your feelings, LIVE your current actions. 

1. Set an alert, two times a day, to remind you to LIVE in the moment.

2. When the alert goes off – question yourself.  Are you living – present, mindfully aware.

3. Create Mindful Awareness – be present with your thoughts.