Life is a series of moments. All we have in this moment is, well, this moment. So often we are compelled to believe there’s something better coming in a future moment, leaving us less satisfied with the moment we’re in. Instead of acknowledging that we are living, breathing, thinking, dreaming, loving, being right here, right now, we place our chances for current contentment on hold in search of something better.
Every self care article on the internet talks about taking time for ourselves…and yet, right after (heck, sometimes during!) that bath or face mask we’re back to the grind, our minds whirring and whizzing at light speed. Just me? The effort of chasing nourishment feels negated, depleted, rushed. Read: creating your weekly grocery list during the third quarter of an unreasonably long-held pose in your yin yoga class. Just me?
What if we took a few more moments, even one moment more a day? Simply living in the present as a way of living - really living - more sustainably.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for goal setting and preparing to make a difference. There is a glorious sense of possibility and profound sense of purpose to be found in certain cases of striving, chipping away, pursuing…
But today I’m reflecting on the beauty and importance of pausing, and taking a moment.
Take a moment and be right here, right now.
This post is born out of a message shared with me by a confidante of mine. She’s a true gift of a human who is exactly double my age and who graciously and routinely shares the wisdom and insight gained through her experiences in the most simple and loving ways. This woman leads a full, very full on life. She’s no stranger to long days, to being pulled in countless directions, yet she prioritizes taking time for what’s most important. Recently we were talking about the need to find space for a break amidst busy weeks. Her answer was to make the most of the in between moments. She reminded me [and perhaps herself], “You don’t always need to take a vacation. You need to take moments.” Her point was that there is so much renewal and recharge to be found in taking a moment for mental space.
I sat down to write this blog. I took a moment as I set up shop in my favourite local cafe, the same spot where I wrote most of my master’s thesis and where I regularly promise my loved ones I will one day write my bestseller. Instead of staring down the blank document on my screen, I took a moment. I knew it was time to practice what I’d soon be preaching. I opened up my journal instead, and put pen to good old fashioned paper. I took a moment to partake in one of my very favourite pastimes - listing out my hopes and dreams. I filled two and a half pages right then and there. I brain dumped exactly what my life will look like when I’ve made the most of so many moments. Then, and only then, did I open my laptop to begin writing.
I happen to be a big advocate for “taking a moment.” I’m someone who airs on the side of taking perhaps too many moments. Is that even possible? A cup of tea here, a coffee date with a friend there, a couch and a blanket and a candle and a book and a soft soundtrack on the Bose. Sign me up, 24/7. I believe in prioritizing slow, warm moments, in pausing to remember what really matters. I recently received a package of tea and biscuits with the note made out to, “the queen of cozy.” And I think it’s when we’re the most busy, when life feels the most hectic, that these moments become the most important. Moments can become the difference between reinvigorating your soul enough to complete your pressing project, or feeling paralyzed before the deadline. They can be the difference between finding true connection with a family member or friend versus putting off your check in until that mythical day when you’ll both “have more time.”
What if our lives centred around more of these precious moments - moments simply spent basking in the present…and we added them all up to the equivalent of an actual vacation? Call it a true staycation, the luxury of staying right where you are to marinate in a moment of pause, rest, reflection, renewal, right here, right now. Then get back to it! You’ve got a life to live, Hearth Sister!
-Ali
**Our banner image was taken at The Snug Cafe on our forested island home, the perfect spot to share a cozy moment.
