We all spend a lot of time scheduling our lives. We have a meeting here or the kids have practice there, we need to pick the dry cleaning up here, Aunt Edna is coming on this date, call this person or that person and so on, and so on, and so on… The important question isn’t what we’re scheduling, but as we’re busy scheduling, are we actually spending enough time living our lives. Remember, just because we schedule something doesn’t mean we’re living those moments. Many times, we get to those things we’ve scheduled and then simply move through them, sometimes with contempt, instead of “experiencing” them and truly living them. What’s the use in scheduling it, if we then don’t “experience” it when it happens!?! Most of the time this is because we’re focused on what we’ve scheduled next or we’re frustrated that they’ve even been scheduled at all. There comes a time when we need to stop for a second and ask ourselves this question… “Are we getting anything out of all of this scheduling?” When is the last time you didn’t check your emails or your cell phone for notifications? When was the last time you watched a sunset or sunrise without being conscious of the time or where you had to be? When was the last time you paid attention to your family and what they’re doing and saying without glancing at your phone or the scroll at the bottom of the television? These are just three questions and there are hundreds more, all of which can be boiled down to this… “When was the last time you lived life the way that life was meant to be lived?” Have the courage to stop and breathe. Have the courage to listen to the life around you instead of your notifications. Have the courage to listen to those in your life, even when you’re busy, tired or distracted. Have the courage to take a step back, take a breath and see the entire picture of your life instead of focusing only on a small “piece of the pie.” Have the courage to do your best, to be the person you’ve truly hoped to be, the person that if you stepped back and looked at, you’d be proud of. It all happens one step at a time and might not be easy. However, once you start, momentum begins and things will get easier. Once you begin, your life isn’t the only one that will get better. Those around you will notice the difference and be affected by your decisions. Then, the world around them will change too, and you’ve begun the ripples of positive change. So, while scheduling is a necessity in our lives, actually learning to live our lives and soak in what’s around us is a much bigger necessity. All of this begins with changing our mindset. When we can become aware of where we are, not just where we want to go, then our […]