If you’re over the age of about twenty, you’ve probably noticed that years seem to suddenly slip by unnoticed. One day you’re sitting in your favorite chair, reading your favorite book, and it dawns on you that you’re an age that you once thought of as ‘old’.
No, I don’t have a prescription to stop aging. The minutes become hours; the hours become days; the days become seasons; and the seasons become years… it’s all a natural part of life. It can’t be stopped… one second is one second, and we all live it at the same rate.
What we sometimes forget is that each one of those seconds matters. Each one is unique. Each one unfolds before us, revealing another instant that we can view as we want: appreciation, fear, wonder, hatred, love.
Most people miss those seconds. They are too busy planning for moments that haven’t arrived (and may never arrive) or reflecting on moments that are long gone. While there is value in planning and remembering, they are useless if you don’t also take the time to enjoy the moment that you’re in once in a while.
Each instant of your life your body is speaking to you in an ancient language, a primitive tongue. Listen and learn. Feel every sensation your arms and hands and face and legs and feet are reporting. Let the emotions that come up flow through you and run their course without interruption or trying to shut them down. Turn off the filters and just be.
When was the last time you were completely engaged in the moment, your entire awareness and attention on just the instant and nothing else? When was the last time you were so lost in what you were doing that an entire afternoon (or day) went by before you realized any time had passed? When was the last time you were fully present with life?
Those instants, whether they are what you hoped for, dreamed of, or expected, or whether they were none of those things, they are all that is real. Let them unfold before you, and treat each one with respect and joy. You’ll find that every instant can be a source of awe. Life unfolds and reveals something truly wonderful.
Just listen…
Other news
- Solve one problem…: Peanut allergy treatment on the horizon? [www.msnbc.msn.com]
- … and brace for the next one…: Watch what you touch: A bad germ gets worse [www.msnbc.msn.com]
- … and don’t forget about the classics…: Measles cases in U.S. at highest in 6 years [www.msnbc.msn.com]
Quote for the week
“We are one big family of people, trying to make our way through the unfolding puzzle of life.” - Sara Paddison
From the editor
It’s a little hard for me to believe that I’ve been writing this newsletter for two years now. Yep, last Thursday was the two year anniversary of the first official issue! What started years ago as a small project to keep my friends informed has now evolved into a research and publishing project that has become very rewarding for me to work on.
Since I recently switched the website and email list over to the new servers, I lost quite a few subscribed readers. I expect that some of the loss was due to normal attrition, but I also think many just didn’t see that they had to take action a couple weeks ago and missed the crossover. In either case, I’d like to get readership back up to where it was. Sooooo….
Please, please, tell your friends about Weekly Wellness News! Pass on an issue, or forward a link to the website to them. Print it and post it in your office. Let people know you enjoy reading it and you think they might like it also. Spread the word. I appreciate it!
Thanks for making the last two years so fulfilling for me! I look forward to continuing this for many more!
Healthy thoughts,
Jeff
