A Present Moment…and I’m Not Talking About Gifts!

Thanksgiving and Hanukkah are way behind us already, and we’re now on the heels of Christmas and New Year’s. Great times with friends, family, surprising the kids with their gifts and overindulging myself with potato latke is already a distant memory. Why does time seem to go so fast these days? I look back on my childhood and even teenage years and the days just seemed to go sooooo…….much…..slower. But in a good way, right? Sure we can blame it on technology but what’s the point?

Social media has proven to be a great way to keep us in touch with one another, share recipes, stay on top of the latest fashion trends, and get he news in real time. All good stuff, don’t get me wrong. But somehow this information highway is impeding my ability to stay in the present moment.

So I’ve decided to give myself a gift this year. The gift of enjoying the moments and people who are right before me.  To chat with the person who is ringing my groceries up. To call an old friend (on the TELEPHONE, so old school, right?!). To throw my phone in a drawer and hang out with my family without any distraction. A promise to myself to take at least 15 minutes each day (or night) to meditate……can you say OMMMMMMM?!

During my breast cancer treatment I was super diligent about meditation. It got me through some pretty rough times. So now as I survivor, I’ve thrown myself back into the grind. In the back of my mind thinking, I don’t need to meditate anymore, I’m fine now, I’m too busy. Blah, blah, blah.

Boy was I wrong. Before my diagnosis, I thought meditation, crystals, and essential oils were kind of hokus-pokus. Until I actually tried it. Now I look forward to going to my little meditation corner (as shown in photo) and finding that feeling of calm, as well as gratitude for all of the good things in my life.  I’m not saying everyone should meditate, but I do suggest giving it a try. There are many fantastic guided meditations on YouTube.com, as well as some pretty nifty apps. One of my faves is Calm.

Go ahead and give meditation a shot. It’s kind of like trying sushi for the first time. You think to yourself, “I don’t get what the big deal is about raw fish rolled up with rice and seaweed.” But then you try it, and for most there’s no turning back.