*Remembering to Live*

STOP AND SMELL THE ROSES.......................................



Many present-day cultures are busy ones. We want it all, we look always forward, striving to live optimally and successfully, constantly improving ourselves, and immersing ourselves in the hustle and bustle of great achievements. We rush from here to there, always trying to meet deadlines. In doing so, however, it is so easy to focus our attention on tomorrow while letting today totally slip away unnoticed. After a while, it becomes so difficult to stop, to soften our focus, to look around, and to consider the here and now. We quickly forget how important it is just to take pleasure in the simple joys of existence, like clear blue skies, birds singing, sunsets, the laughter of a loved one, or the rich taste of a favorite dish. We may feel we are too busy to revel in the small stuff, but our future will wait for us and there will always be another responsibility on the horizon. Some say 'less is more' and as I age I see the wisdom in that statement. Remembering a class that I took in college called Comparative Religions, we studied so many different religions, their beliefs, their origin. One day we took a field trip to a Zen Buddist Temple in Ann Arbor. I was enriched by that experience moreso than other trips that we had taken. Entering the temple, I was immediately impressed by the serenity and the calmness. This religion focuses on the simplistic refusing to rush. Knowing that I would not become a Zen Buddhist, I was, nonetheless so impressed with their religion and their serenity. Each moment of our lives gives the potential to seek happiness, satisfaction and spiritual growth.

I remember an old saying: life is what happens while you are busy making plans. While not entirely true, there are real benefits to taking the time to experience life's positive aspects. Many of us, if we try, will find that we are able to make time for living. Try re-evaluating your 'must-do' schedule so that you can focus on what is really vital. Give up control for a few minutes and watch the world go by, take a walk to an unfamiliar place, bask in the sunshine, look at the cloud formations, or play in the snow. There are other delights that come from doing that which we enjoy, such as treasured hobbies or practicing recreational skills. These are also vital.

Remembering to live expresses the fact that you value the whole of your life, rather than just the past or the future. It reminds you why you do what you do and helps you appreciate who you are, instead of only who you will become. The path you will walk is hidden from you, but the path you are walking can be enjoyed from moment to moment, if you take the time to be a part of the goodness around you. Next time you find yourself overwhelmed with goals, deadlines, agendas, don't forget to just live.