The days are getting longer and brighter. I even hear birds singing in the mornings. I stop, listen, and sit in that moment, which always lifts my spirits and fills me with gratitude.
What makes you stop and take in a moment? Do you do this? When was the last time you did?
If not, I want to encourage you to make this simple practice part of your everyday—just a few seconds here and there of this specific intention. Why? Because that is what you will remember when you look back on your week, your month, and eventually your life. The moments for which you are present determine the perception of your life.
Ask the Question Today
Try it today and see how you feel. Ask the question, "What beautiful, peaceful, or important moment do I want to take in today?" When we ask this question, we then begin to look at the world through this new lens. We begin to look for these moments that, as we store them up, collectively comprise a life of joy, beauty, and certainly contentment.
Maybe it’s someone’s big belly laugh or the excitement on your loved one’s face. Maybe it’s a spiritual moment of peace you feel that comes out of nowhere. Perhaps it’s a moment of connection with a friend or being in nature witnessing the brilliance of a sunset for the millionth time that never gets old. And there is always that first sip of coffee in the quiet of the early morning.
For me this week, it was my teens lying on my bed after school laughing and doing impressions of their teachers. I thought about that several times this week and relived that happiness. And guess what? Your brain will release some of the same neurochemicals it did in the moment that it happened, elevating your mood.
Challenge yourself to begin this today and continue it through this month of March. If you want to take it further, write down one of those moments a day in a journal or in the Notes of your phone. Look back on it once a week and see what happens in your mind and body.
Friends, this is choosing joy one moment at a time. It’s not easy when life gets hard, but the moments are there if we choose to look for them.
So much more to say, which is why I write books, but who needs a long email these days!
Sending love and thinking of you as you meet your moments.
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