I am trying to be more conscious to “be in the moment.” Sitting on the subway yesterday, staring out the window (there are a rare few moments where the subway is overground) I was thinking that what happened yesterday, last week, a moment ago is over and what will happen in the next moment isn’t here yet. So let me see if I can just be present now, in my body, looking at what I’m looking at, smelling what I’m smelling…well, maybe not on a New York City subway, but you get the idea. Of course the exercise was not in the analysis, but what followed, to “just be.” 

In all honesty, I’m not sure I completely believe that there is only this moment. Part of me thinks whatever has already occurred still exists energetically in the minds, memory and maybe even cells of our body. But I do believe that if I can be more present in this moment, that my moments will be fuller, richer, calmer, more content, and that like threading a necklace of beads, if each bead is high quality the end product will be beautiful. For I do unequivocally believe that the quality of each moment creates the quality of our lives. 

So today I’m going to try to be more present when washing the dishes – to feel the soap suds slime over my hands, enjoy how clean the dishes are becoming (and not worry about the next post I have to write). And I will truly listen to whomever is speaking to me and quiet my own thoughts racing to and fro in the background. And I will attempt to do this throughout the day.

So now I’m going off to the Motor Vehicles office to renew my license. Yes, I’m going to spend my precious moments marveling at the ancient, dilapidated room I’m sitting in, chuckling at the 3,000 people in energetic discourse with the ten civil servants behind protective glass, savor the sweetness of the peach I’ll be biting into to bring my blood sugar back up, and smile when I emerge five hours later into the predicted rainstorm for this afternoon that my license is good for another eight years.