Maybe that sounds silly, but I'm guessing we all do it.
How often do we fall into bed exhausted, wondering where the day went? It's as if we went through the past 24 hours on autopilot. We flip over a new calendar page and try to remember what we did during the thirty days now past.
Someone said it well, "Life is not a dress rehearsal."
Each of us gets only one take on today.
Even though we're breathing in and out, we can be oblivious, completely wrapped up in our thoughts, tied up on the computer or watching television.
I plead guilty. How about you?
Or we tune out the people in our lives. Parents scold teenagers because they can be in the same room but text each other rather than talking. Grownups do the same thing, but we don't use a keyboard. We simply switch off our minds and look past each other.
Even in marriage we can run on parallel tracks, each of us concentrating on what interests us, blind to each other's concerns. That can feel achingly lonely, as if we simply wave at each other as we pass in the hall.
Then there's multitasking. Busy people assume we can multitask and get more done. Researchers tell us that because we're not focused we accomplish less. Our brains bop back and forth between tasks, never giving full attention to either one. That leads to mindless errors for, but . . . let's not talk about that.
So what's the answer?
For me, once again I'm reminding myself that this day is the one I'm living
To be precise, I only live this one minute, then the next. Apparently, I like the way Psalm 90:12 reads in the New Living Translation:
Teach us to make the most of our time, so that we may grow in wisdom.
Life is too precious to miss! So once again I recommit to paying attention and making the most of my time.
Maybe this time I won't forget.
Here's to being present while we're present,
Lenore
Question for you: Do you struggle with this? Or have you overcome it? Then tell us how! Just click on the word, "Comments," at the end and follow directions.