The following was written by Sarala, a very unique and special individual. She shared it with me and gave me permission to post it so you can also be inspired.
The Present is a Present
A young couple was eating out in a restaurant. After a few moments of pleasant chatting, their food arrived. Starving, they each dived in but abruptly stopped in their tracks when they noticed a piece of paper neatly folded into 4 sections. They each opened it up and read it. It read: “The Present Moment is a Present. Use it Wisely.”
The couple looked at each other questioningly. They didn’t have to comment. The look on their faces verbalized their thoughts. “What in the world?? What is this??” They slowly recovered and regained their composure and read the note a couple of more times. They remembered that their food was waiting for them and quickly dived in. But this time it was done a bit differently: They recited a bracha slowly and carefully while trying to understand its meaning.
While this story is made up, the message is very clear and relevant to us. How many times do we lose sight of precious moments and squander many opportunities? How many of us fall into the trap of boredom when we can easily channel the moment into something elevated?
I would like to share a personal example to bring this point home:
I take the city bus to work. The bus ride is not long at all; it’s about 10 minutes. All too often, I find myself thinking about what I can/should do and therefore, lose the moment. When I catch myself, I shift my attention to the present moment and try to experience it as much as I can. For example, I take note of the cold air on my face. I challenge myself to observe my surroundings – the trees, flowers, cars and people passing by. Although this sounds simple and elementary, it is extremely important. It’s vital that we observe, take note and enjoy each moment. Because, The Present is a Present.
Food For Thought: Hashem gave us all the same amount of seconds. The difference lies in how we choose to use them.
The equation below is copied and pasted from: https://www.rapidtables.com/calc/time/seconds-in-day.html
1 day = 24 hours/day × 60 minutes/hour × 60 seconds/minute = 86400 seconds/day.
Let's use the many seconds in our day to enjoy the presents we've been given, by living in the present!
Tuesday, January 16, 2018
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Sarala, that is such a beautifully written piece. I liked it very much because I feel the same way about time as you do. Many years ago I used to ride public transportation to get to work and had the same thoughts as you. I started bringing my iPod (how ancient!) to listen to music. I wasn't on the level of listening to Torah speeches because that just isn't my thing, but I tried to choose songs that would make me think nice thoughts and it definitely made the difference in my ride. Everything is just so amazing if you only take the chance to enjoy it. Personally I like food (I know I'm not the only one) and instead of devouring it once it's prepared, I make sure to give it a proper photoshoot to show myself and others how gorgeous Hashem's foods and produce are. It's not just a cut up vegetable salad, it's a rainbow of growing creations that each contain a world of nutrients, phytonutrients, vitamins, minerals, natural color, etc. Ok, I'll stop now ;)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your kind words and reflections! I'm so happy that the article resonated with you. I like how you said "Everything is so amazing if you only take the chance to enjoy it." So true and well-put!! Like you said, noticing the cut up vegetables - its color, textures, and even vitamins and minerals, can be an elevating experience. Imagine how different life would be when we take the time and notice all these "small" things! While that's a tall order, we can do it in baby steps. Thank you again!!
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