Being Present and Aware

Have you ever had the experience of eating a food you really enjoyed and suddenly wondered where that last bite went?  Did you finish it or was it sitting somewhere still waiting to be eaten?  You realize that you must have eaten it without noticing, but you are not satisfied since you didn't remember eating it and didn't get to enjoy it, and so you get some more?  This has happened to me multiple times.  When I get distracted I find that I miss out on getting the full enjoyment out of whatever it is that I am experiencing.

This week I was sitting on the couch with my sweet three-year-old granddaughter watching a movie.  She crawled over and cuddled up on my lap.  I was talking to someone at the time, and though I was somewhat aware that she was there, I was not truly present and aware of her.  A few minutes later my conversation ended, allowing me to stop being distracted.  As I sat there with my sweet little one I noticed the connection between us.  I felt how safe and comfortable she was with me, and I with her.  I noticed how fresh and sweet she smelled, and how much I enjoyed this precious moment with her. How easily that time together could have slipped by unnoticed and unappreciated if I had continued talking or been engrossed in the movie. (As it happens I have seen this particular movie over, and over, and over at her request, so it was easy to not pay attention to it.)  All too soon she will be past the cuddling stage with grandma forever.  Our positive experiences here should be treasured. I was so glad I took the time to be present and aware and to enjoy her.

I used to take having my husband with me for granted.  Then unexpectedly one day he had a life-threatening situation and survived.  It happened so quickly.  He could have been gone in the blink of an eye.  It woke me up.  I felt that somehow I had been given a second chance to have him in my life.  Ever since then I try not take him for granted.  I have learned to appreciate his very presence in my world.  When I lay down at night I lay on his chest and listen to his heart beat, and I think about how glad that he is still with me.  I never did that before the accident.  I was not present and aware, but now I am, and my life feels richer and more fulfilled because of my awareness.

The art of truly becoming present and aware brings balance, and adds a richness and fulfillment to life that is very valuable.  In the Balance class that I teach I give each participant a chocolate Hershey's Kiss to eat while I tell them a story.  Because they are focused on my story they are distracted from focusing on what they are eating.  When the story ends I then give them a second chocolate Kiss and have them close their eyes and focus on the taste and how it feels in their mouth while they are eating it.  Without fail, my participants consistently report that the second Hershey's Kiss is much more enjoyable than the first.  Why is this?  They are present and aware of what they are experiencing.

Each of our lives can be more enriched and fulfilled by being more present and aware of our experiences.  It doesn't take any more time to do this in your day, and it makes life so much more enjoyable.  Don't gulp down your day without noticing.  Be present and enjoy all the good that surrounds you.