Being Present

When I first heard the story about the mother who forgot her baby in the car I thought, "How does any parent forget their child and leave them anywhere without being aware of it?"  The mother who recanted the story of how her baby died was devastated and in tears, not able to control her emotions of sadness and guilt.  She, like many of us was in unconscious automatic living.  She was in a hurry to get to work, stopped at a gas station to put gas in her car, ran into work and eight hours later discovered her baby suffocated in the car from from the intense heat.  She had forgotten to drop her baby off at the caregiver and simply did not notice she was still in the car.  This story truly reminded me to stay present and the importance of it.

Living in the present moment requires intention.  Living consciously is about showing up for yourself and others.  It is experiencing every moment and savoring life.  When we live in the moment we experience the fullness of life.  It is about acknowledging the beauty that surrounds us.  So much of our time is uselessly spent on worrying about what will happen and creating stories about the next thing we must do.  This effectively steals our joy and keeps us in the dark. 

When we live fully we experience the feelings whether they are of joy or sadness.  We allow ourselves to feel what we need to feel and be in our truth.  Sometimes we must remind ourselves that it is OK to simply breath and enjoy the gift of life.