Be here now

You have often heard that phrase: Be here now. Perhaps, like me, you have even tried to live that way. You may be more successful at it than I, in fact.

I very much embrace the idea. I want to be present to my life. I want to live life awake and aware. I love the idea of noticing, really noticing, what's happening around me—even when it's the mundane of life. I really like the thought of savoring what I'm doing. For example, when I peel an orange, I like the idea of feeling the soft roughness of the orange, soaking up the lovely citrus aroma and watching the juices run from the segments as they are released from the captivity of the peel.

I just find it a challenge to always "be here now." Reality sets in more often than not and I am in a hurry to get the orange peeled. I'm in a hurry to finish the (delightful) phone conversation with a friend because I need to be out the door in 30 minutes. I don't always take the time when I sit at my desk writing these blogs to look out the window and watch the cardinals and blue jays hop from tree to tree.

What's a woman to do?

The best I can. As with so much of life, it's not about being perfect. It's about remembering as often as I can to stop. Stop and savor. Stop and look around. Notice my surroundings. Really notice the brilliant colors in the lovely blanket my daughter-in-law chose for me when I stayed the weekend with my granddaughter so my son and daughter-in-law could enjoy a weekend getaway. Soak up the colors. Really notice the smell of the beautiful candle in my coaching space. See how the sun sends rays of color through the stained glass dragonfly on my window that spill out onto my carpet.

Much of the time, I'll likely be in my usual mode: fast or faster. But as often as I can, I want to remember: Stop. Look around. Be here now. Savor. Enjoy. How about you?