In the past week of your life you have lived
a total of 168 hours - over ten thousand minutes. But how many
moments within those ten thousand minutes are truly memorable?
How many of them were significant enough that you'll remember
them in a week, a month or a year? Will you remember any of them
for the rest of your life?
For most of us, the moments of our lives slip by unnoticed. We
are so busy trying to survive and complete everything on our
to-do lists that we fail to realize that this moment is all we
have. In the rush to get things done, we take the people in our
lives for granted, forget our true priorities and forge ahead
without taking stock of our accomplishments or basking in the
blessings of our lives.
The truth, which most of us fail to acknowledge, is that it only
takes a second for our reality to change completely. In a moment,
we can infuse our children with insecurities, put ourselves in
debt or fall prey to a temptation that will destroy our lives.
It takes only a second for our world to fall apart before our
eyes, yet most of us will ignore this fact and continue to take
what we have for granted. It's our nature to believe that what
we have in our lives is permanent. Most of us have a great deal
of denial about life's fragility. But the reality is that time
is precious. And when we fully realize this fact, we become aware
of the importance of claiming each moment.
Claiming the moment is the art of making ordinary moments extraordinary.
It asks us to deliberately acknowledge all the good that is happening
in our lives right now. When we claim the moment a number of
things happen. One, we notice all the good that is around us
right now. Two, we recognize things that occur in our lives on
a regular basis that we may take for granted. Thirdly, and perhaps
most importantly, when we claim the moment we take responsibly
for creating special events. It compels us to search out, identify
and value each moment. For example, when we're taking the same
old walk with the same friends and look up to see a hawk hovering
above us we can stop for a minute and admire the beauty of nature.
Then we can look around at the people we are with, appreciate
the role they play in our lives, take a deep breath and claim
the moment. With the intention of anchoring the memory into our
consciousness we might have the urge to give them a hug or express
our appreciation of them verbally. When we are keenly aware of
the preciousness of the event and identify it as special enough
to be remembered, then we are truly claiming the moment.
Every moment holds a seed of potential for being a memorable
event. They can range from the subtle (like watching the sunrise
every morning in bed) to the extraordinary (like watching your
child blow out the candles on her fourth birthday cake). If we
don't stop each day and claim some of these moments, they will
pass us by, never to be found again. To make this our best year
ever, we must seize every opportunity to relish in the details
of our lives. When we make the commitment to claim the moment,
we become a magnet for the unique and special. The lens through
which we view life shifts, and we become seekers of the divine
in every moment. Claiming the moment is a spiritual practice
that allows us to see with new eyes, to become aware of the blessings
we have, and to create new intimate moments each day.
To begin practicing the art of claiming the moment, bring a little
more conscious awareness to the moments of your day. When you
find yourself enjoying a moment that has special significance,
stop and breathe it in. Say to yourself, either silently or out
loud, "I'm going to claim this moment." Then allow
yourself to linger in that experience a little longer than usual,
to notice what is special about it. Soak in the moment and consciously
register it, rather than rushing off to the next moment.
Remember, the best year of our lives is not made up of days or
weeks or months. It is made up of moments. When we can look back
over the past week, month or year with awareness and gratitude
for all the wonderful moments we've lived, we can truly proclaim
our lives to be extraordinary.
Debbie Ford is an internationally
recognized expert in the field of personal transformation and
human potential. A #1 New York Times best-selling author, Debbie's
books and tapes have sold more than 1,000,000 copies, are translated
into twenty-six languages and used as teaching tools in universities
and other institutions of learning and enlightenment worldwide.
For more information about Debbie's books, tapes and training
programs, please visit www.debbieford.com or review her new book
"The Best Year of Your Life" at www.bestyearofyourlife.com
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