Joy now

This morning as I jogged down our winding driveway, conflicts chased each other through my mind. Weighty matters such as politics or concern for my children vied against silly worries like what to make for dinner or will I ever fit into last year’s jeans. My thoughts chugged away like a freight train, threatening to derail my day and disrupt my happiness.

Fortunately, I realized what was happening. I shut down the incessant chatter in my brain and listened, instead, to the wind rustling the trees, the crunch of gravel under my feet. I closed my eyes (not long enough to run into a fence post, of course) and inhaled the crisp morning air, fragrant with decaying leaves and other country smells best left unmentioned. 

This deliberate act of living in the moment shifted my course for the better. A poem I wrote a few years ago sprang to my mind.

Don’t rush through life with your head on backwards

Or peering past playful sunsets to accomplished mornings and clean rooms.

Slow down.

Dig deep and breathe from your toes, gaze at the sky and taste the wind.

Smile from your soul and pause to share.

But save yourself sweet solitude

For self-time is sacred and mustn’t be missed.

Joy now.

What are some times you’ve truly lived in the moment and how did it enrich your life?