Enjoy the Experience

While focusing on what might happen in the future, I too often miss out on the joy of the present experience.

This tendency was made clear to me on a recent bike ride with my husband.

I was dreading the steep two-mile incline at the end of the ride instead of enjoying the beautiful scenery all around me. 

When I thought about the upcoming incline, I no longer felt the enjoyment of the ride.

I became pre-occupied and worried with self-doubt.

What if it was too hard?

What if I couldn’t do it?

What if I had to stop?

Questions in the right place and time that might be helpful in preparation, now became stumbling blocks.

As I focused on what I was experiencing in the moment, the cool breeze, the fresh air, the scenery all around me, I felt alive, and invigorated.

I enjoyed the experience when I focused on the moment and not some future event. 

How many times have I missed the joy of an experience because I was too busy worrying about the future?

Does this ever happen to you?

Do you sometimes find yourself at the conclusion of an event wishing you had spent more time immersed in the experience or wishing you had paid more attention to the person you were with?

A simple solution to eliminate this regret is to recognize the tendency, and decide to change your habit of thought. 

Living in the present moment is powerful in learning to enjoy your experience.

Much love,