The Present That Becomes the Gift | VictorSchueller.com

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“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” ~Buddha

Yesterday I was in church with my family, and my six-year old daughter, Brianna, was trying to inch her way up my legs and chest so that I would end up holding her during one of the songs we were singing.  As she continues to grow and get heavier, it’s harder to hold her, and while she is six years old, I don’t like to say no to her when she wants me to pick her up.  Don’t get me wrong — I don’t carry her around everywhere.  Most of the time it’s when I am standing still when she wants to treat me like a jungle gym or wants me to give her a lift.

I know this time in our lives (Brianna and mine) won’t last forever.  She won’t be six forever, and she won’t be giving me that look she always does when she wants to be held in my arms.  I know too well already that time passes quickly, and she is growing up right before my eyes.  This time of precious innocence only lasts for a short moment, and so I know I need to take advantage of these moments with her whenever I can.

As she crawled up into my arms during the service, I playfully stroked the bottom of her feet with my fingers, and she let out a joyful squeal of delightful laughter; she crawled ever higher into my arms, pulled me close, and snuggled in tight.  It hit me like a lightning bolt, and my eyes welled with tears.  It was an awesome feeling  and a moment I absolutely wanted to seize forever.  In that instant, my thoughts immediately focused on the present — the awesomeness of the “here and now.”  I knew that I was right where I wanted to be; I didn’t care about the past, and I didn’t worry about the future.  I just soaked up the wonderful present, and took it all in.  It was pure bliss, and I was completely happy and content.

The present is a tremendous gift.  It’s so easy to reminisce about the past, or worry about the future.  It’s so easy to spend our time focusing on what we lost, or don’t have, or won’t have, or can’t have, that we lose perspective on the wonderful gift we possess every second of every day — the present.  The present becomes the gift, but unless we focus on the present, we completely miss out on it.

Are you spending a lot of time obsessing over the losses or mistakes of the past?  Are you worrying about the prospects of the future?  Let’s try to spend more time simply being present.  Let’s focus on enjoying the joys that exist in the here and now.  Let’s enjoy what our life is right now, moment to moment, and focus on the gift we possess every instant we are alive.

Yes, sometimes we need to plan ahead, and sometimes we need to learn from the events of the past.  However, we need to remember that the present is a worry-free and blissful moment in time.  It’s a time to truly cherish the wonderful lives we live.  It’s a time to truly enjoy the joys of life, and the wonders of the world.  The present provides us with an opportunity to lose ourselves in the moment, and temporarily set aside our worries or concerns.

Take time to enjoy the present that becomes the gift.  Take time to love the moment of now!