Each one of us has the potential to lead a richer and more meaningful life and the simplest way to do this is to learn to pay attention! Just pay attention! This may sound easy but this is a skill that needs to be developed through practice.
I had a wonderful opportunity to practice paying attention and being more mindful during the Working with Your Attention course run by the ToDo Institute, and I know that through continued practice this skill can add richness, beauty and exquisite moments to the average day. Practicing this skill turns an ordinary day into an extraordinary day. It opens one up to the sumptuousness of nature, the intricate beauty of each face, each hand and each smile. Paying attention to each moment teaches us how to live with more gratitude and appreciation, as we witness how marvelously every aspect of our life is woven together. Life can develop more meaning when we become a good observer of all that is happening around us.
Each event that happens will affect us, and what affects us molds us into the people we will one day become and how we will choose to live our lives. Life can be a rewarding, abundant and beautiful journey or it can be dull, boring and repetitive. What we choose to pay attention to will ultimately shape our lives and our legacy!
I believe that one of the major reasons why people are not happy with their lives is that they just keep trying to get through the day, get through the week or merely survive until their 2 week vacation comes around each year. A more commendable challenge would be to try and be present in each moment and to be mindful as the day unfolds, to look for the extraordinary moments and the beauty that surrounds and supports us continually.
It is important that we become attuned and sensitive enough to observe and contemplate what is happening all around us. Remain alert, be awake, and be conscious! Life is sending you sweet and delicate messages all the time; allow these messages to touch your heart and mind. Often, the most astonishing opportunities are revealed in the seemingly unimportant events. If you do not develop the skill of living mindfully and paying attention to the unfolding events in life, you may easily miss important opportunities. So learn to be attentive and pay attention to life and the wonders of the world around you! Just pay attention, it's just this moment. The wonder and the magnificence can all be found in the present moment, and in each moment all is well.
"Let the water settle; you will see the moon and stars mirrored in your being." –Jelaluddin Rumi