Have you ever been in your car, driving somewhere, and ended up at your destination without having a clue how you actually got there? It’s like you were on auto pilot. It’s happened to me, and probably you. I was awake, and paying attention to the road, but my mind was in a million places.

Today, when practicing yoga, I was in my zone. Or I thought I was in my zone. My mind started to wander, and I was thinking about lots of things. I didn’t realize I was doing this, until I was going into a new pose, and couldn’t remember which leg to bring forward. Yikes. I only have two legs. I clearly wasn’t paying attention.

I wasn’t being present.

I wasn’t living with intention.

Recently, I was getting a pedicure at a salon, and heard the woman sitting next to me say to the person doing her nails, “When are you going to massage my hands?”

“I already did your massage. Didn’t you notice? Your eyes were opened.” The woman just smiled and didn’t say anything. What could she say? The gentleman doing her nails rolled his eyes and shook his head in disgust.

These are all examples of living, going through the motions of life, but not really living. Not being fully present.
We all do it. Everyday. Instead of focusing on what we’re actually doing, our mind is thinking about the past or what we have to do in the future.

Why is it so hard to just stay present? To live in the moment? To enjoy the here and now, not worry about the past, and not think about the future. That’s what living with intention is all about. It seems so simple. Just focus your attention on what you’re doing. How hard can that be?

Very hard.

I’ve been trying to pay attention to this lately. It’s amazing what happens when I really start to concentrate on what I’m actually doing. I enjoy it so much more and notice the beauty all around me. There is so much beauty to pay attention to and notice.

Nothing should matter except what we’re doing right now.

We can’t change the past. It’s done. Over. Finished.

We can worry about the future, think about what might happen, and try to control what we can, but all we really have is NOW.

Enjoy your today. Your right now. Your present moment.

Don’t zone out while your driving. Don’t forget to notice a hand massage. Don’t let your mind take you away from where you actually are.

Find meaning each day,

Dara