The Lost Art of Living...

While in Peru we listened to a talk by Rob Bell called "Fully Present." It really struck a chord with me. In my/our venture to live a less stressful life, a deeper life this really made sense: being fully present.

How often do things fly by in our life? We look forward to this or that, but when it comes we hardly take it in. Or in the present, how many distractions do we have that deter us from the "now."

How often are we with people and we can tell they aren't fully there? When you're talking to them they seem to be a world away, "uh-huh"-ing through your conversation, and you wonder if they are even hearing you. I don't want to be like that. I want to listen and care about people, and be there with them.

The times where it is the easiest for me to be fully present are those times when I am outside and the view, the weather, the feeling is perfect and I want to hold it, to bottle it, and really absorb it. I am trying to bring that into my whole life, the good and the bad. Life is too short not to be fully present. Being fully present not only allows me to absorb, but also to think and to contemplate. I find that I don't have a lot of energy or time to "think"right now - and that bothers me. I spend too much time worrying, which we all know does no good-and it's an addictive train of thought.

"Today enough is enough - I don't need tomorrow and yesterday as well. We need to be aware of how rarely we are aware."

This song by Mason Jennings says it the way I want to say it:
"Be Here Now"
be here now
no other place to be
or just sit there dreaming
of how life would be
if we were somewhere better
somewhere far
away from all our worries
well here we are

you are the love of my life

be here now
no other place to be
all the doubts that linger
just set them free
and let good things happen
let the future come
into each moment
like a rising sun