Trying to be “in the moment” is the best way to ruin it.
I spent years collecting techniques, strategies, and philosophies for “being in the moment.”
Striving for presence.
I’d notice sunlight bouncing off a snow-capped tree, and ask myself: “Am I in the moment?” “Am I doing it?” Like a kid on a road trip asking “Are we there yet?” If we were, I wouldn’t need to ask.
Philosopher Alan Watts said “…you cannot think simultaneously about listening to the waves and whether you are enjoying listening to the waves.”
When we take on the role of judge, we cease to be participants.
We ruin moments by reflecting on them while they’re still happening.
Comedian Demetri Martin has a one-liner that goes:
“I like digital cameras because they allow us to reminisce. Immediately.
Look at us. We were so young, wow. Standing right there. Where does the minute go?”
Since Martin wrote this joke in 2012, the hilarity of reflecting on moments as they happen has heightened:
Digital cameras have melded with our phones, which have melded with our pockets. We’re fully equipped to “remember” and judge moments before they end. To stand squarely outside of them and give them scores.
In each moment, ask yourself — am I a judge or a participant?
Actually, don’t. That’s how you ruin the moment.
Forget any advice you’ve read on “being in the moment” and remember that you’re already here, with perfect scores.
This post was created with Typeshare
