CHAPTER SIX
Every second brings a moment to our lives, which may have an impact on our future. To be able to see these moments or to feel them as we move through our day, we need to be more awake to who we are, where we are and what goes on around us and within us; this is what makes up our spiritual self. Moments, are not concrete, not possessions, but things that build memories, hopes of a better future, a feeling of excitement, one of wonder and amazement, such as the sun rising and setting every day, as well as those moments that bring sadness and difficulties. At the moment the sun rises, your life begins a new day with new possibilities. How often do we stop and either watch that moment or think about how it happens or even feel it happening through our senses? We just get up and start our day. But without this ability of our universe to provide light, where would we be? Just for once watch and breathe deeply while the sun rises. That moment will fill you with peace if you can let it in.
Our busy lives, fed by the needs of our 21st century and materialistic attitudes, cause us to miss many wonderful and inspirational moments that occur in our lives. Of course, there are moments, such as birthdays, weddings, celebrations as well as sad moments of grief and sorrow, such as funerals and loss: all these give us memories that contribute to who we are. However, I believe that we miss many special moments in our everyday lives because we lack awareness of life. It is my belief that if we begin to look at other moments in our lives, the brief seconds, minutes in our day, then we will develop our senses further, which will lead to us becoming more awake, more able to notice our environment and the world around us, which in turn may make us feel more alive and our priorities may change. The dawning of the day, the smile of a friend, the wind in our hair and the rain on our face will become moments that make us feel alive, make us feel joy in our souls and give us more understanding of the beauty in the world and how each day can make us feel special. For we are all special, and the more we ‘wake up’ and ‘see’, the more fulfilling our lives could be.
Consider snow; it is an amazing element of our world. It can cause disruption and sometimes trauma in many lives; this cannot be changed and is the same for many of the world’s attributes, ‘it is as it is’. But, just for a moment, begin to think of every snowflake that falls and its individuality – no snow flake is the same – now imagine how many snowflakes fall and cover our land at anyone time. For me, this creates wonder and amazement at the ability the world has to make such beauty through the delicate formation of snowflakes. When these have fallen on your face, glistened in the sun and provided a slide for all to use, have you felt the excitement of that moment and held it in your memory? Many of us have painted a snowflake or made one out of paper and been proud of our achievement displayed to all who will look. What if you stop for a moment and remember that our world creates these by the millions and each one is different; how does that thought make you feel? For me, it makes the hairs stand up on the back of my neck, it makes me smile and it makes me want to look more closely the next time I see snow.
We can experience moments through all our senses, sight, smell, taste, touch and sound, every day, every hour, every minute and every second. But how many do we notice in our busy days, when there is so much pressure to succeed, to make something of our lives and ourselves, to feel accepted, to feel we belong, to feel loved, the list is far from exhaustive and will be relative to who you are and where you are on your life path. We miss so many moments that could bring joy to our hearts.
I made a diary one day and tried to capture a day of my life, recording all the things I noticed, the times I felt happy, sad, at peace, alive and free, as well as the times I felt stressed, sad, rushed and agitated. I wanted to see what I noticed, what events were so real that I felt I could write them in my diary. At the end of the day I was quite surprised that what I had recorded read like an itinerary of times, schedules and meetings.
Here is a taste of that diary day; Drive in to work awful, parking nightmare, presentation went well, had quick lunch, late for meeting with Sam, dark when left work, had dinner, slippers on, watched telly, John called, arranged night out for weekend, then bed. As I read this back to myself, the first thought was ‘Wow; is that what I experienced today: is that what filled my day, one of my precious days that I have on this Earth?’ I decided to go through each statement and recall that part of my day. It slowly became apparent that there were things that had occurred which I had not written about, moments, which enhanced my day but did not get put on the paper. Was it because I didn’t notice them? Was it because they were not important to me at the time or was it because I took them for granted as part of my everyday life? I hadn’t, for instance, written that the sun was rising like a beautiful red ball in the sky as I travelled to work, the soft smell of fresh linen towels in the toilets made me think of spring and flowers blooming, seeing a friend at work put a smile on my face and the smile I received back gave me a warm glow and I felt cared for. Although it was dark, the sky was clear and, as I travelled out of the city, the stars provided a show as if in a planetarium that filled me with wonder of what the truth of the universe really holds. The food I ate was tasty and fresh; it fed my body and soul, and my slippers were warm and comforting and made me feel that I belonged in my home. Someone I really cared for had rung and wanted to see me to spend time with me so I felt special and I smiled, which filled me with happiness. Finally, my bed was soft, the sheets felt fresh and the duvet encompassed my body to a restful sleep. Reading that day and seeing all the moments I had really experienced, it became a good day to be alive and it enhanced my wellbeing.
All moments in our lives no matter how small are precious; not just the big moments, not just the happy and not just the sad, but all moments can have an impact on who we are and how we feel about ourselves. If we can awaken to the world around us, awaken to the lives we are building, awaken to all the beauty in the days we live, then we will become true to who we are, who we are meant to be and who we will finally become.
Many things in our daily lives become routine, something we just do; but I would like to suggest to you that by really embracing moments you can turn a simple act such as drinking a cup of coffee, into something special. Have you ever stopped and savoured with all your senses a cup of coffee, or, like me in the past has it just become a routine, a social event, something you just do? This is now how I experience my coffee times since I have begun to ‘wake up’. Firstly, there is the aroma of the coffee in the cup; waiting for the water, it smells good. Then there is the sound of the boiling water embracing each granule and creating a warm inviting drink, then in goes the milk and your eyes see the colour change from dark to a soft and inviting colour. Your hands then embrace the warmth of the cup, providing comfort, peace and relaxation. The taste dances on your tongue, fills your mouth with wonder and slowly warms your body from the inside. Finally, there is the conversation with friends or time with yourself, your inner self. You can adapt the above to anything in your life, see how it feels – what does the experience now feel like? Our lives are fast paced, materialism is the goal, and capitalism is our environment. I am not saying that all this should go (I am a realistic person), but what I have tried to show is that, within this world, we let moments pass by which could enrich us on a deeper level, and provide fulfilment from so little; we need to be awake within ourselves to embrace these moments.
I believe that, when we begin to notice, we begin to open within us opportunities for personal growth which otherwise would remain dormant. Personalities can change; the good feelings within can radiate outwards to touch other peoples’ souls. By appreciating our moments we can expand our growth, touch many more people with peace and happiness; have time to support them when sadness prevails; have strength to manage when grief arrives and have peace in our hearts to experience happiness and to fully embrace our lives.
Capturing the essence of ‘moments’ in words is like capturing the stars; all are different, everyone’s perception of what stars are and how t
hey look is different and so are everyone’s moments. People will all interpret them differently, see and feel them differently; they will bring different emotions, different outcomes and so place them on different paths. There will be some who will only experience them through some of the senses; everyone’s description of moments will be individual to them. My example of the diary and the coffee is my way of showing how I interpret moments, every day things that enrich my life. And, because I see more, am awake more, then I get the real pleasure of experiencing life more, and, yes, having a coffee now is a special moment which I cherish and look forward to.
Just for a moment in a day, look at what you are doing, experience and feel every stage, every moment, use all your senses to embrace and hold the moment in your mind’s eye. Remember how it makes you feel, write it down if you want, read it back to yourself. I then believe you will truly begin to experience the life you have been given.
We all come from different backgrounds; all our moments will be relative to where we are and whom we are. It does not make them less or more special than others. It is how we live our lives that can enhance the opportunities that come our way; it is our contentment within ourselves that can provide enriched experiences and life chances. Not all the world is a fair place and I would be untruthful if I thought that by being more aware of moments in our lives we could change the big picture of our world overnight. However, I do believe that we can all make a difference: we can wake up and radiate from within us a peaceful and positive approach to others, which could begin a wave of much needed change.
On a personal level, deciding to become more awake could make you happier, stronger and you could see clearer and enjoy your days more. You may see opportunities where you thought there were closed doors, you could smile just for smiling’s sake and it is my belief, that at times you will sense a connectivity from within to all in the world, those already around you but also those far away. For we are all deeply connected: each move we make can impact on others. The changes you make can reach far and wide. If you feel inclined to notice more moments in your day, break what you do down into moments then I believe you will begin to feel more vitality and more life flowing through your body. We do not have to have it all to live well. We do not have to be the best to enjoy life and feel loved. We do not have to turn our backs on those less fortunate and we do not have to feel that we are at times a failure. Because we all have moments in our days, weeks, months and years that can make us feel rich, loved, admired, confident and leave us feeling a sense of belonging.
‘You’ are amazing; you have a place on this earth for a reason. It doesn’t have to be a grand reason; it could just be that you are a loving, patient soul who will touch others’ lives with your loving qualities. So, see your moments, sense your moments, wonder at the world when moments occur, such as sun rise, the flower that blooms, the rain that feeds the land so we can eat and the breath that allows your body to live. For when you experience the hidden moments in your life you will begin to open like a lotus flower until eventually you will fill the world with your heart and breathe new life into your soul.
“We walk from here,” said Miriam. We had reached the edge of a pine forest and the snow was ebbing away. “What will happen with the dogs”? I asked “Don’t worry: they know where to go when I release them. They will be well cared for when they are home”. With that she released the pack, we thanked them and then they were on their way. I was glad that I had not had to talk through our journey, as the wind took my breath away and we travelled at great speed, so speaking would have been quite impossible. I turned and looked at Miriam. She radiated light and once again looked younger than she did when I first met her. This time, her hair was softer and browner in colour and she had lost her stoop. Now she stood tall and strong. It was if she was becoming younger with each journey we made I wanted to talk to her about this but felt strongly that now was not the time.
I couldn’t quite see where we went from here but Miriam led the way and we headed through the pines to what appeared to be a clearing on the other side of the wood. As we approached there was a familiar sound in the distance, that of the sea, waves crashing on the shoreline, one of my most favourite sounds of all time: I always felt at home when I walked by the sea. I quickened my pace, Miriam noticed and smiled “Wonderful sound, isn’t it”? she said “Oh yes, one of my favourite. It fills me with such joy and frees my spirit within”. I replied. There before us was the most beautiful beach and emerald green sea with enormous white horses crashing on the shore; it was a sight to behold. Just to our left were some wooden steps, which we descended; they led to a pathway, which led to where we would stay that night. We danced like children down the path to the front door of a small cottage situated on the edge of the beach with beautiful views of the sea. There was a small garden with roses, and a seat with soft gingham cushions; the smell of freshly baked bread was coming from what I could only presume was the kitchen window.
“Remember these moments, Angela, for they will bring joy to you for many of your coming years” “You have captured your understanding of moments in a way that is accessible to all: for this you should be pleased with yourself” said Miriam as she opened the front door. Smiling, I thanked her and followed her in. It was a comfortable cottage and the kitchen table was laid with beautiful fresh produce along with some freshly baked bread. I looked around to see who had made all this for us to enjoy and could see no one. As if reading my mind, Miriam said “Sometimes we don’t know who provides us with what we need and it is not necessary that we do know; our thanks is all that is needed and will always be heard if we are sincere, for giving someone what they need for their highest good is the most precious gift that can be delivered but also received.” I must have looked confused as she continued, “You give the thing that is needed and you receive the thanks so mutual happiness is achieved”. “Yes, Yes I see what a precious lesson to learn”. I said excitedly, Miriam smiled and we sat down to eat.