Maria Mor

At breakfast we are discussing dinner. On Monday we are thinking about Friday. In August we are planning Thanksgiving. Halloween has not taken place and already holiday decorations are on display. Christmas shopping is in July and talk of the new year is long gone. Where did our present moment go?

Today is stuck in a limbo between yesterday and tomorrow. It is overshadowed by the “could haves” of the past and the “one days” of the future. Our thoughts are racing at a lighting speed and we pretend we can multi-task. It is difficult to be here when the dog needs walking, the kids need feeding, the bills need paying, the house needs cleaning, and goals need achieving. At the end of each day most of us go to bed saying: ” Where did today go?”

So how did I start enjoying my every day? I consciously made little changes to become more aware of all the blessings surrounding me. Those subtle adjustments nourished the way I looked at life. Below are 10 of my favorite ways to truly enjoy your today. Maybe one of them will spark your interest and as you mold it and make it yours, every day will be much happier to marvel in.

1. Appreciate the little things in life.

   It may sound cliche, but it works. The sunrise through your window. The smell of waffle cones lingering at an ice cream parlor. A gentle breeze on a hot summer day. A scourging hot shower with the scent of lavender. The softness of your pj’s. A new flower sprouting or a small tree branch growing. These are all little glimpses that happen every day, we just don’t particularly notice them. I started to be more aware when I began to write them down on a little napkin at a restaurant. Try it!

   

2. Be patient and have faith.

   What you can’t see is difficult to grasp. I know. Nonetheless, your dreams are unfolding in unimaginable ways and probably far greater than you could ever imagine. My suggestion: don’t give up at the first sign of defeat. The magic of it all is not the final results, but all the mistakes, remedies, and hardcore determination that made all of your goals happen. Believe in yourself, be patient, and focus on doing your absolute best in the present moment. Remember, some ideas take a little or a lot longer to sprout because flowers don’t bloom all year round. If they are meant to be they will happen.

   

3. Sharing is truly caring.

   I recently read The Mastery of Love in which Don Miguel Ruiz expresses that what you put out there in the form of thoughts is what you shall receive. My friends, in a world where there is a lot of hatred there is also a far greater amount of love. Put out love. Whatever your forte, share your knowledge with people who have the same aspirations.  Spend valuable time with family and friends cherishing their company and making genuine connections. Buy a homeless person dinner. Treat your best bud to a meal. Once in while phone your parents or grandparents. These little things go a long way.

4. Music is power.

   Some times all you need is a loud speaker, a hairbrush microphone, and some pretty embarrassing dance moves to start your day. Do it! Dance your little heart out. Put your windows down, turn the volume up, and blast DJ Khaled’s “Wild Thoughts” until you arrive at your destination. You feel me?? Those mini dance parties are priceless!! Music is power and I guarantee there is always a song to narrate your present moment.

   

5. Make time for nature.

   I listened to a podcast with Deepak Chopra a couple of weeks ago where he mentioned nature (mother earth) as the source of abundance for all living things. What we need, she supplies! Therefore, maybe make it a daily or weekly routine to go outside even if it is only 10 minutes. When I started taking small walks during the week I noticed that I was well rested and calmer. You don’t have time? It really does not get simpler than sitting in your backyard or climbing a tree nearby and if you live in the city, find a water fountain and listen to the gentle trickles.

   

6. Take breaks and treat yourself once in a while.

   When faced with disappointment take breaks. Go to the beach. Hike the nearby woods. Go on a drive to no where in particular. Watch a comforting movie (to you). Go to a coffee shop. Curse in the shower under your breath. Lift weights. Yoga it. Whatever will help you get your frustrations out in a healthy manner, do it. Those new shoes you have been eyeing for months, buy them girl! That ice cream you have been avoiding, eat it! Instead of giving up learn to give yourself periods of rest so that you can come back ready to work and with a proactive attitude. This will also help you be in your present moment.

   

7. Have gratitude for everything.

   One of my life coaches, Paulette, told me one day: “you know I think it is perfectly fine to want your dreams to happen, to want more, but why don’t you try having gratitude for what you already have and where you are at now.” She was right! Being in my present moment also meant realizing all the marvelous things around me – my shoes, my clothes, my bed, my house, my food, my job, my clients, my health, my sight, my body, my mind, my family, my friends, everything! When we are thankful we realize we are not lacking anything.

   

8. Write down your goals, take action, and learn to let go.

   I think it is self explanatory. Writing down your goals makes them real, because they aren’t just a lingering thought any more. Seeing them on paper also brings clarity. Pick one or two you want to start on right away and take action. The smallest effort towards your goals is a start. Keep a steady consistent progress with determination. What you cannot control simply let it go, it will all sort its self out in due time.

9. Celebrate your small accomplishments.

   Your first client is booked. You sold your first order of home-made soaps. After putting your kids to sleep you read the first chapter of a book. You ran your first mile. Finally got that A on your anatomy exam. You stopped eating your nails. PAT YOURSELF IN THE BACK!!! The scale of your accomplishment does not matter, it is the fact that you accomplished it. Dress up and go out! I drink gin tonic with my mama, have margaritas with my besty, call my dad, or take a long bubble bath.

10. Smile more often.

    Buck teeth, crooked teeth, missing teeth, straight teeth, yellow teeth, white teeth. It don’t matter! Share a smile with yourself and gift it to someone else. You have no idea of the magnitude of your smile. It can brighten your day and someone else’s. After all, the side effects of a smile are their airborne quality and snorting once in a while. Most often, they are the force that leads to laughter, the light of hope in a person’s day, a flirtatious calling, and the warmth you never felt.

    

Nothing is too complicated. Small positive changes here and there make a difference. Be here. Take a deep breath. Enjoy! Try one or two or all and do not hesitate in creating your own ways. I would love to hear your experiences by commenting below.

~M