Moment to Moment


I've been having conversations with friends in the last week, and a theme has emerged:
A seemingly simple realization.  To focus on living life moment to moment. 
  • Choosing to incorporate consciousness. Mindfulness. 
  • Acknowledging each moment as it comes. Staying curious, with a sense of humor. 
  • Stopping despite the momentum in our "busy lives" to find the sacred.
  • Not wanting to look back on this moment with longing/regret.
  • Listening to the tiny bits of information received from the universe. 
  • Reaching out to connect with others when we feel the urge. Saying thank you. Saying I love you. Saying I appreciate you and I'm thinking about you, when we feel the urge. 
  • Giving freely; with no expectations to get something back in return. 

"Living in the moment" has become a bit cliché. Maybe there are certain ideas about what this looks like: Giving up everything to travel the world. Going bungee jumping. Facing external fears...

I think those things are included BUT living in the moment is also far simpler. Each day is made of millions of moments. And you can't physically bungee jump during every one of them...
I think living moment to moment is choosing to smile instead of frown. Or accepting the frown as an honest expression of how our heart is feeling. Or being open to connect with others, even though we could get hurt. And being gentle with ourselves when we hurt because hurting is a part of being alive, as much as joy and exuberance. Or looking up from the phone to feel the breeze on our face and notice birds chirping somewhere... Or whatever the moment presents.  In a sense, every answer is correct.
Ultimately, I think it's realizing that each moment is an opportunity to be alive.  And we can forget, but the more we remind ourselves to come back to the moment, the easier it becomes, and our lives can be better for it. 
Location: Long Beach, CA, USA

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