Be in the Moment, Be Mindful

By Brittney Hemmands
Blog Content Contributor

As a college student and a daycare teacher, I find myself constantly running around. My hectic schedule makes the weeks drag by, and sometimes I wonder how I can accomplish all I want to accomplish in just seven days. I know many of you can relate. Because we become so busy we can find it difficult to slow down and enjoy life. In fact, I often get so caught up in trying to do everything that I never give myself time to breathe and relax.

I did not realize that I was rushing through everything until I sat down in my poetry class on Thursday evening to ask my professor a question. After receiving my portfolio and reading my feedback, I hesitantly raised my hand and asked, “How do I make corrections to these poems so they will turn out better?” What she said next changed my perspective on the way I was trying to accomplish everything. With a slight smile on her face, she said, “Sometimes we get so caught up trying to get to the end that we do not appreciate the process. What you have to do is slow down and stop focusing so much on what the ending will look like. Enjoy the process.”

It may be possible that the reason why we do not anticipate the start of a week and why we find ourselves rushing through our lives is because we are ready to be in our future. We want our amazing careers and houses or to travel the world and not be in debt. Although living in the future seems like the most exciting part of our life, we miss being present in the moment when doing so. We miss the process of meeting new people and making new memories. We miss the little baby steps that will lead us to our dreams eventually. Most importantly, we miss admiring the beautiful world around us that we get to live in.

I know it is entirely impossible to stop our schedules completely, but we can take a few minutes out of our day to remember to be mindful. That means we have to try to be aware and conscious in the present moment, without thinking about the past or future. This can be done by just appreciating the life you have now or by spending sometime in nature. Listen to the birds chirping, dip your toes into the river, or appreciate the sun shining on your face. It’s the little things that truly matter, so practice gratitude and watch life begin to blossom.

Featured image contributed by Brittney Hemmands.