Last night we watched the movie “Valentine’s Again”essentially the movie Groundhog Day focused around Valentines Day. The main character, a women, is told that she missed meeting her soul mate on Valentines Day. She learned she had spoken to him that day. She would relive the day over and over until she figured out which “missed connection” was her soulmate.
This morning I was driving to work and three kids were walking together. Nothing uncommon of course. However all three of them had their heads down and were peering into their phones. It made me think when I was their age walking with my friends we would have all been talking and goofing around.
I felt sad for them.
I thought about how so many kids are walking around with their heads in screens and missing the world as it goes by around them. Then I thought of the movie last night with the same thing. I asked myself. How much do we miss because we are in our “routines” and just going through the steps and actions? What are we missing that could make our lives better and possibly change them forever?
The world around us is truly a beautiful place and we are so lucky to be able to experience it. The people we come in contact with are unique too. No two people are alike. Even if they are identical twins they still have their own unique traits. It got me wondering what have I missed? I think I make a conscious effort to “be present” when I am in gatherings and such. Am I perfect? No, most certainly not. I often get irritated when we are driving around a new place and my wife has her head in her phone. usually not doing anything of importance. I keep thinking how can you not be looking out the window and looking around. We may never be here again, or worse yet, you might miss something that interests you that you want to stop and look at.
My father in law likes to say something like “viewing life through a lens” and how it is important to get out from behind the camera and take it all in. In so many instances people are always filming and taking photos, and not just taking it all in, unimpeded to your eyes.
Do you ever take intentional time to just experience what is going on around you? To “be fully present” where ever you are. This also includes trying to free your mind of other things and to think about where you are and what is going on. Not cluttering your thoughts with what you need to get done, work etc. This might be the hardest for me. I can certainly live out from behind the screen or other things. It has been more of a challenge for me to learn to calm my mind and allow my mind to be “fully present” to my location.
I do have some places where this comes really easy for me. Riding my bike is one of them. Sailing or anything on the water is easy for me to be fully present. Working in my workshop or at my modeling table are also places of deep focus. Certain work activities can be those places of deep focus too. I want to strive to be able to have more of this focus. My work is really good during these times and I feel really good too. As some would say it is that state of flow that you get in.
Working on focusing my mind to be more present during my activities is going to be something that I focus more on. Trying to be more intent in taking that action.
The last year has been trying for all of us. In unique ways for each of us. I imagine we have all learned lessons over the last year, like we do every year. Probably more then a normal year. When this all started I wondered how it was going to change habits. Would we review our priorities and realize what is important? Now that we are just about a year into it, it is not over and the experts have different views on when “normal” will return. When”normal” returns what will that really look like? Will it look like our old “normal”. Will it be our old “normal” with changes that we have made because of what we have learned from our experiences with COVID? Will it be our old “normal” with modifications of sort because of COVID? Or will it be completely different and we will settle into some kind of “new normal”? Likely it will be a hybrid of all of those for most of us. I am sure many will drift back into their “old lives” and keep on going. I think for most it will be a combination of “normal” with some new habits and behaviors learned as a result of COVID and then some behaviors that differ because of society and our varying comfort levels.
For me one of the things that has really intrigued me during this time is shopping and retail. I’ve always been fascinated by it. The science of it all and how technology is changing it and how our cultures and beliefs have been affecting it. COVID makes me think of the the ride Test Track or the Rock N’ Roller Coaster rides in Disney World. Both these rides start off with a super fast acceleration. March of 2020 is like the beginning of the ride when you sit down and strap in. Then the ride attendants come by and checks for your safety. Next you are thrown back into your seat and the ride takes off. Eventually you sort of settle in. Your not comfortable but at least more settled. That is where we are now. We’ve survived the acceleration phase, we are settled in. Wary still, not sure what is going to happen. What we do know is that what we thought was going to take years to happen to evolve shopping has been compressed into months. For those in retail a frightening time of change and how business is conducted.
Is this also a fair comparison for our lives?
For what might have taken years for us to learn or maybe in the case of society decades to learn. Have we just had a crash course that is encouraging us to rethink things and focus more on what’s important? Maybe to take more away from what we do, so we can really experience more.
Busy versus productive. There is a big difference. Many are experts at being busy but really bad at being productive. Are you busy in your life or living your life currently?
It’s easy to show up. Well for some it is easy to show up. To show up, be present, be engaged. That is challenging. It is hard work. I am going to strive for the trifecta. If not I am not sure I am living my life to the fullest. I know I can’t be perfect, we weren’t created to be perfect. I don’t want to strive for perfection. I do want to strive to “be present” and not let life pass me by. I want to be an engaged, active participant. The gift of each day is just to special to waste and not try to be our best while being present.
