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Hi Everyone. Today’s topic was a struggle. I had so many thoughts circling around in my head, but I couldn’t seem to land on one. Then I realized that it was because I was struggling to stay in the moment. Present with today, not next week, not Thanksgiving in America, not the December holidays, but in the moment of today.

I’m one of those people who loves planning and dreaming about the future. If I had a charm bracelet, my charm would be a telescope because I’m always looking out into the beyond. Yesterday I was doing all the taping for my new quiz Mindset to Joie de Vivre and that is all about the future because the course won’t be ready until after the first of the year. In those videos, I talked about how our mindset types are actually our superpowers – and mine is in planning and imagining future opportunities, ideas, and happenings.

And then this morning when I woke up, I found myself thinking about the upcoming Christmas holidays, how to make everyone happy. Suddenly I realized, I wasn’t at all present. I hadn’t taken my own coaching advice, because even at the moment I woke up, I wasn’t present and therefore not excited about today! 

I had forgotten everything I said in the mindset videos, where I talked about how our mindset superpowers are to be cherished but also that we need to be aware when our mindset superpowers are over-activated, overindulged so to speak.

For me that happens when I’m ONLY thinking and dreaming about the future. When my mindset is only in that place of the future. The present, isn’t in my consciousness…. I’m just going through the motions in the present…drinking my espresso, eating without even looking at my food, and certainly sitting while I put my ideas onto paper or explore ideas on the computer. Two hours will have passed before I realize I haven’t even moved.

When we’re in the space of our mindset superpowers- we are in flow and time just passes. Flow is actually a very interesting topic studied extensively by a psychologist who’s name I cannot pronounce. He talked about how flow happens when we completely operate in our place of strengths. So, when are you in flow? Are you painting? Drawing? Writing? Presenting? Running? Talking with friends? Organizing a closet? Whatever it is, when your flow happens, you are operating in your strengths. Those are almost always your mindset strengths or what I like to call your mindset superpowers.

By the way, if you’d like to get on the wait list for my course Mindset to Joie de vivre, just let me know.

But why is being happy in the moment so important? Why do so many people who are all much more enlightened than me, talk about the importance of being present?

Because this moment in this day is really all we can be certain of. For those of you who have experienced those sudden life changing moments, you understand. In one second, all those future dreams and plans you made dissolve. The stories we have written for ourselves, in that moment, suddenly become fiction.

So, when I woke up this morning and sat down to write this podcast, I realized I needed to ask myself, what are you looking forward to today?   What excites you about this very moment? That required me to stop all my running thoughts and focus on THE moment.

So, I made my double espresso and went to my tiny balcony overlooking the back yard and did nothing. Absolutely nothing. Except listen. I heard the wind rustling through the few remaining tree leaves. I heard children playing somewhere in my neighborhood. I heard a faint train whistle from tracks I do not know where they are. I feel my chest rise and fall with my breathing. And all is good. It is in the moment that I find my smile.

I’m sharing this with all of you because at this time of the year and especially given COVID’s grip on us, it is very easy to wish things were different or feel overwhelmed with the uncertainty of the future. This is NOT the stories we have planned for…. If COVID has exposed anything it is that the majority of humans don’t do well with uncertainty.

Well, as our grandmothers probably said, “it is what it is.” Therefore, let’s try to forget about COVID.  All we really can be sure of is today and even this moment right now.

Plus, true happiness is experienced moment by moment. Children are our greatest teachers. And No child is excited about what they are going to do sometime this year, or some long-range plan. Young children especially, live in the moment….as do our much-loved pets.

So, I’m making a commitment to myself and I hope you join me- that every day, when I wake up, I’m going to spend a minute or two, just being happy in the moment and excited for THIS day.

I’ll start by saying, I’m happy I live in a lovely home. I’m happy I’m having this conversation with you. I’m happy I have a phone call scheduled with my best friend later today. I’m happy my body is healthy. I’m happy my mind is still working. I’m happy my children are safe and loved by their partners. I’m happy I’m an American.

I’d love to hear from you. Join my Life Reimagined Facebook group and share what you are happy for in this moment

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