Gossamer Moments

I was talking to a very close friend of mine and we were saying how amazing our lives truly are.  How special this place, this time, these people, this experience is. And how very fragile this moment truly is ... like so much gossamer, it will quickly vanish; we exist in this amazing space only for a moment and to drink it up fully and explore and enjoy the experience.

The book "How We Choose To Be Happy" is written by Rick Foster, a dear friend of mine. He talks about what people who are truly happy do. And chapter 7 talks about Appreciation and Aliveness. He says:

"Happy people actively appreciate their lives and express gratitude and thanks to the people around them. They seem to revel in each moment rather than focusing on the past or worrying about the future. They talk about being exquisitely aware of the fragility and preciousness of existence."

The other day I was in an exercise class at Equinox and I finally got out of my head just long enough to experience a flood of appreciation for my life. Sometimes that's what exercise is all about: getting into your body and out of your head. I was finally able to just "revel in each moment" and let the moments of my life wash over me. Reveling in each moment is a tough thing to do.  We've been so conditioned to focus on the past or the future that being in the moment is truly fleeting. It's what Eckhart Tolle talks about in his book "The Power of Now"; being completely present to really enjoy these gossamer moments.

So here's my question: "What are you experiencing that makes your life amazing?" "Are you reveling in the moment? Or are you taking it more for granted than you think?" "What more could you do today to really appreciate these gossamer moments?"  If you can get out of your head long enough to truly experience this gossamer moment in time, how amazing would that be.

See you on the wire.

-- Steven Cardinale