This moment...

This moment, the one right here, right now... are you in it?  Are you fully present in the now, savoring the details of whatever is happening for you today, now?  Or are you thinking 15 steps ahead of all that you need to do and all that is to come?  Or are you someone who tends to find yourself caught up thinking about things that are already done in the past and struggling to let them go?

The reality is it can be hard to be in the now.

I feel like at the end of summer there is a lot of challenge to being in the now moments.  We start thinking ahead to the new school year, anticipating the fall and all that is to come while also wishing that we could rewind and have a few more weeks of summer vacation.  But you do still have right now. Today. And you can choose to savor these moments.

A week and a half ago I wrote about how much I love the Olympics. And as I have watched the Olympics over and over again I have been surprised and thinking about how often the reporters questions to the athletes pertain to either things of the past or their plans of the future. I find this fascinating.

The men and women competing are elite athletes who have dedicated countless hours of their lives to their sports.  They have worked hard and risen to the top as the best in their field in order to qualify for the Olympics.  But even when they achieve the greatest success imaginable - an Olympic Medal - the questions aren't just related to what does this feel like to you, how are you savoring this moment, what will you remember most about this moment or these Olympic games.  Instead the questions tend to be more along the lines of, "Will you be competing again in LA in 2028?" for forward focused questions or "Did you ever imagine reaching the podium after __ had happened to you?" for past related questions. And ultimately, it isn't that the forward or past questions are inherently bad, but I wonder if that is part of why we also tend to struggle with being in the now, of savoring this moment at hand, and enjoying our present?

And to all of the Olympians, medalists or not, I guess I wish someone would just say, "Wow! Congratulations, you have made it to the top of your field and you are impressive for your dedication and drive. Enjoy this moment because you deserve it and you have made us proud!"

And even though you aren't Olympians (or at least not yet), I hope you also enjoy this moment (such as the final days of summer) simply because it is yours to own and celebrate in even the smallest of ways.

Excited to see the Freshman and Juniors for Schedule Pick Up tomorrow! My alpha group is first thing in the morning.