The Gift of the Present
When we are truly awake and present in ourselves and the world around us, miracles abound.
-The Miracle Collectors
As summer begins to wind down, we hope you find time to enjoy whatever rituals you love most, from strawberry shortcake and corn-on-the-cob to warm evenings at the beach, lake, or in a friend's backyard. This month, Katie reminds us to find miracles in the moments of our lives, to appreciate the journey we are each on, and to not get lost in wherever tomorrow may take us.
Collecting Miracle Moments One Story at a Time.
Joan and Katie
Thank you to Deborah Goodrich Royce for inviting us to the Summer Author's Series at Ocean House, Watch Hill, RI on September 7th from 5-7 pm. Tickets are available here. If you are in the area please join us.
I was on a flight into Denver earlier this summer when the pilot asked the flight attendants to be seated even before we had begun our descent. Not being a particularly comfortable flier I wasn’t happy about this and even less so when the plane hit sudden, side-to-side-up-and-down turbulence. I couldn’t wait to disembark and kiss the proverbial ground, a rare exception to the rule that life is about the journey and NOT the destination.
As Miracle Collectors, we spend a third of our latest book talking about becoming aware, that life should be lived in the moments that make up the journey. Most of us are under the impression that we are, indeed, aware. You walk, you breathe, you turn right at the light. How hard can it be? The reality is we tend to go through the motions and call it awareness, when in fact real awareness takes intention and practice. When we walk and breathe, or turn right at the light, are we really thinking about those experiences, really noticing what is around us?
Awareness requires that we fully appreciate the journey, each moment of each step, kind of the opposite of our cultural “eye on the prize” philosophy. The prize should be living fully in this moment, not whatever the ultimate goal might be, whether a promotion, a degree, a published book, or even making it back home from a long line at the grocery store. Eckhart Tolle said, “If you are excessively focused on the destination then you miss 99% of your life, because [in] arriving at a destination...there is very little there…now what?” Life happens at the check out counter, in the library study cubicle, with the familiar coworker across the desk, or in doing something you love like writing or parenting.
Destinations are sometimes realized just the way we imagined, but sometimes they take unexpected detours or change completely. Journeys, on the other hand, are wherever we are right now and worth savoring in the moments. Journeys are the foundation on which we experience and build our “one precious life.”
I was intrigued by the recent article about a Little League playoff game where a pitcher accidentally hit a batter in the head, knocking him to the ground. Fortunately, the batter was okay and eventually made his way to first base. If they win the game, his team goes to the Little League World Series. Was he thinking about stealing second? Or, whether the next batter could advance him on the bases? No, apparently, he noticed in that moment how upset the pitcher was, having broken down in tears about what had just transpired. So he left first base and went to the pitcher’s mound where he gave the opposing pitcher a hug and let him know he really was okay. The pitcher went on to lead his team to the Little League World Series and the batter’s team went home to compete another day. The story has gone viral, not because of who won the game, but who won the day. We are drawn to the story because of the unexpected detour, the batter transcended the destination everyone had in mind, by living in the moment.
Becoming more aware allows us to savor the journey we are on today, not someone else’s or the one that may show up tomorrow. Turbulent airplane rides excepted. (Katie)