#takeinthemoment

Your alarm promptly sings at 5:45 A.M., you hop out of bed, quickly get changed, and rush out of the door at 6:20 A.M. You arrive on time to work at 6:30 A.M. You take a deep breath and then the day officially starts. At 8:45 A.M. you hurriedly drive across town to be at your second job at 9:00 A.M. You are able to settle in for a few hours, drink some coffee, answer emails, take the occasional stretch, eat leftover dinner for lunch, and before you know it, it’s 2:15 P.M. and it’s time to go. This time, you swiftly make your way across town to your third job. Once again, you are able to settle in for a few hours. Then 6:00 P.M hits and you race to get home. On your mind as you are sitting in traffic, and the countless traffic lights, is making dinner, cleaning the house, getting prepared for the next day, and getting into bed by 8:45pm. Yeah right!

Each and every day we live by this mechanical structure called the clock. There is no way around it. Not to mention the clock is everywhere: the alarm clock next to the bed, the clock on the stove, the clock on the microwave, the clock in your car, the watch on your wrist, and the cell phone that lives on any person 90% of the day.

So what does this mean? To put it simply, we live life structured by the hands of time. It dictates our daily schedule from the moment the darn thing jolts us from a restful night’s sleep, to the worry about correctly setting that same alarm before going to bed. Is this a problem?

No and yes.

Of course it is imperative to get up, get to work on time, manage meetings, get home, relax, get to bed at a decent hour and get up and start over again. One could argue that without time dictating our lives, we would live in chaos. Others might debate it would be blissful.

When does this idea of time become an issue? Plainly and simply: when it interrupts the flow of life, giving anxiety a pathway into the human mind.

“There is so much time in the day.” This is not a spoken phrase. Unfortunately, the persistent to-dos – and that limited time – make the inevitable anxiety skyrocket depending on one’s schedule. “I have so much to do today.” “When am I going to have time to complete this?” The constant movement of the second hand on the watch never fails, even when the battery dies. With the mind locked on time, it is expected that one looks at the future more than the present moment. The question is always: “what’s next?” And when one gets the chance to take a breath, drink some coffee, or read the paper, the mind is quieted for a brief minute until the chores of the day creep in and steal the present moment away.

The human brain wanders the majority of the time, constantly thinking – that’s how we are constructed. That being said, allowing our thoughts to settle and be in the present moment awakens the senses and gives the brain a sense of freedom that most of the time it lacks. Not only does this occur in our everyday lives, but also when we are taking a break from our traditional routine. This is where the “vacation” comes in, the word that releases endorphins in the brain and gives one a sense of absence from the real world. The word that allows the human body to “relax” and “take it easy.”

Now in reality, observing the “typical” American on their vacation is exhausting. In the morning while enjoying a cup of coffee, the first question is, “what’s the plan for the day?” A few hours later while relaxing on the beach, there are more questions floating through our head. What do I want to do later this afternoon? What should I eat for dinner tonight? Running through these thoughts certainly never allows the mind to settle and take in the moment.

After travelling to countless countries starting at the age of sixteen, I sadly realized that when I got to my mid-twenties I had missed out on a lot of my trips. Was I there physically? Yes. Was I present mentally? Unfortunately not. I’m not really sure when my brain made the connection that the present moment is far more effortless and relieving than constantly thinking about what comes next, but certain vivid memories from my studies and travels abroad made this correlation in my brain.

Fast forward to the present. I currently work as an expedition leader in one of my jobs.  In this job I work with high school youth on youth leadership development and take them on expeditions to developing countries. From the moment these students hit the ground they are off in a million different directions. The entire team is split into roles from group leader, assistant leader, accountant, transportation leader, accommodation leader, food leader, and subsequent teams under each. Always thinking about the next step is crucial for the success of the expedition. However stopping to smell the open-air market, and watch the local kids play their game of soccer, is also important. I’ve been able to implement this idea of “living in the present moment” during a point in each expedition. This is done by finding a moment where the students and myself have no other place to be. This is generally on our trekking phase where we take the students on a three to five day trek in the mountains or jungle depending on the country. I gather them around and tell them to find a place of comfort in the surrounding environment away from others. I ask them to quiet their mind and let their senses rush in: smells, sounds, sights, and feelings. We take fifteen to twenty minutes to just be. I don’t ask them to share; I just want them to experience the time for themselves. At the end of every expedition, I have students come up to me saying that was their favorite moment of the whole journey.

So what’s the take away here? Life goes on, yes, and time is important. Every second that races by and will never be again. It is imperative to allow ourselves a moment each day to quiet the mind of the constant noise, the ticking of the clock that captures our brains, and focus on the senses. This will allow for brilliant memories to be imprinted and never forgotten.

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