WOW Moments

There is a lot of talk about living in the present moment, staying grounded, being aware etc.  As you know from reading my blog I am a big fan of awareness myself--and believe it is the foundation of any major change.  I am also a big believer that becoming present or aware is a process--one that takes time.  Unfortunately it isn't something where we just decide--today I am going to be aware and not worry about my future or obsess about my past and poof it happens!  I believe that living in the present moment is a continuum and it starts with wow moments.

Unfortunately most of us are walking around totally cut off from our bodies--we are living in our heads all the time--obsessing about our to do list or 'what iffing' about our future we aren't really paying attention to what is happening around us or what we are thinking, feeling or needing.

Every now and then we have a wow moment--a moment that really stands out and hits you like a Mack Truck.  These moments really speak to your soul.  They can consist of a beautiful sunset, a holiday event, having an anniversary, being on vacation etc.  These moments are out of our 'normal world'.  So even if we are living in our heads most of the time when we experience a wow moment we become grounded in the present and are able to drop down into our bodies.  During these wow moments time tends to stand still we can describe in detail what it looks like, smells like, feels like. We are completely present.

For example, I can remember in 7th grade--my mom sent me balloons for my birthday.  A huge boutique of balloons that I can picture in detail, I can remember where I sat in class when I got them and having them tied to the back of my chair, I can remember walking through the halls carrying my balloons. I can remember how special I felt to have received balloons from my mom.  That was a wow moment for me.  It sticks with me even decades later.

So pay attention to your life and think about what are the wow moments? What are the moments that really stand out for me, where I was really present to what was happening?  What did they feel like? Describe them, re-live them.  The more we pay attention to our wow moments--the more we know what it feels like to be in the present moment--the more we can practice getting out of our heads and being present to our worlds.

The beauty is that as we become more aware of our present and the 'moments' in our life--we will notice these wow moments happen all the time:  As you are reading your child a bed time story, when a friend calls you with good news, enjoying a cup of coffee, having a really good conversation with a friend, taking a walk on a crisp autumn morning, when your partner comes home and gives you a hug, when a co-worker gives you a compliment.

So enjoy your wow moments and pay attention to how often they happen this week.  Because as we look for wow moments in our day to day life our worlds open up and become much more vibrant and colorful.  Noticing these moments will help you live happier.