Reflections

I love moments of inspiration. I started this post off with the intention of writing about my love for inspirational quotes by sharing some of my favorites. That was going to be it. But as I wrote, my post took on words of its own and a whole different theme emerged. I wrote what I needed to express. It wasn't pre-determined, it was not meticulously thought out. I just wrote. It came to realization on its own. I apparently needed that beautiful moment of inspiration tonight. This is why I love the art of writing. So here they are, my uninhibited thoughts:

One thing I really reflected on during my vacation was the importance of inner peace - of honoring the self. Life is so busy and full of constant changes that it becomes easy to just hurriedly go through the motions. It's like the goal is to make it through this one thing just to get on to the next when, in reality, the goal should be to experience each and every "thing." Live in the moment. It's what everyone says that they want to do or they resolve to do or it is hard to do. And living in the moment is hard to do, something I want to do, that I've resolved to do. And then I realized I always approach this challenge of living in the moment with the question "How?" How am I going to practice this? But I was asking the wrong question. I need to instead ask myself "Why?" Why hadn't it worked in the past? Why is it so hard? Why haven't I yet mastered the art of living in the moment?

I determined that it is because "live in the moment" looks like it belongs on a to-do list -- and who needs more to do? The very thought of having to do one more thing stresses me out, so of course I'm not going to be in a devoted state of awareness when I attempt it. I wasn't giving it my full self. I was treating the challenge as an action, another motion to race through, rather than as a sense of being.

NOW I can ask myself "How?" How do I get to a place where I am living in each and every moment just purely by means of existing, of being? The answer is, I discovered, by honoring the self. Taking care of your inner self. I feel that can mean different things for different people, multiple things for each individual, that it will be ever-changing, that it will take some work. For me, it goes back to one of my favorite quotes:

"Peace. It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. 

It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart."

If I am calm in my heart, my mind will know peace. What better combination is there that will allow one's self to live in a moment? You won't be worrying about the trouble or hard work or noise because you will be at peace. And if you aren't worrying about those things?? Then of course you're going to be able to enjoy where you are -- in. each. moment. 

I'm going to carry those moments of reflection I enjoyed on vacation into my daily life. I don't want it to be scheduled or routine because then it goes back to becoming something on my to-do list. I am just going to make sure that I take some time each day to be with my inner self. I may focus on gratitude, or tests of strength, or inspiration..whatever my heart desires that day. The inner peace and calm will come, and as it does (I think) so will the ability to be in a state of "living in the moment."