Live in the Moment

A friend recently sent me a book entitled The Precious Present, written by Spencer Johnson.  Dr. Johnson is widely known for his book The One Minute Manager.

Without spoiling the book for you, let me tell you that it is basically about living in the moment, about enjoying life as you live it.

Let me back up a bit.  Confession time.  I don't do that very well.  I am very task oriented.  I get great satisfaction from completing a task.  The "doing" of the task...eh...not so much.

If you could see my desk, you would see a countertop littered with post-it notes with specific tasks on each one.  Even my computer has an application where another set of post-it notes can be found on the screen in digital form.

I take great pride in tossing those post-it notes in the trash or deleting them from my screen.  That is the final step to completing a task. 

My approach does seem to get a lot of things done.  I will tackle work projects and won't let up until I'm done.  I will work around my yard and will work feverishly just to get to the finish.  I will take a list of chores and go full speed until everything is checked off.

Even on the bicycle sometimes I'm that way.  I just want to get to the finish of the ride.  To accomplish the ride.  It's just the way I'm wired.  Or so I thought. 

A couple of weekends ago, I was trimming some bushes at home.   In typical fashion, I was trying to get finished with that project and get on to the next one.  More check-offs on my list of things to do that day-that's the goal.

But then I stopped and thought about why my friend sent me this book and what Dr. Johnson was trying to tell me.  It was a gorgeous day.  I felt great.  Life was (is) good.  I was doing something productive.  And I thought, what's wrong with being here, being in the now. 

I thought about a message that I've heard former Maryville High football coach George Quarles tell his players many times--about enjoying the moment.  I've heard him tell his players "you're only guaranteed 10 opportunities to play this game.  Don't take this one for granted.  You'll never get it back."

That is so true.  When preseason is in full swing and you're tired and it seems like the first game will never get here, it's easy to wish it would all be over.  But then the games start and the next thing you know, you're in the last game of the season, maybe the last game of your life.

I knew Coach Quarles was a super coach and a great builder of young men but I never realized that some of his lessons could include me.  I probably thought I was too old to listen or something. 

Goodness knows I'm an old dog and we've all heard you can't teach old dogs new tricks. But maybe, just maybe, I should have been listening all along.  Maybe life wouldn't be speeding by so fast if I would take the time to stop and smell the roses.

So here's the advice of the day:  Whatever you're doing, enjoy the moment.  Enjoy the journey.  Enjoy the game.