Did you notice this strange paradox of how we are looking forward to certain events and when they finally arrive they pass real quick and a few years (or even months) later, you can hardly remember most of the details?
Let’s take that latest trip that you were really looking forward to. Do you remember how you were planning all the details, how you were counting the days to the day you set off on that plane, that moment you arrive at the new exciting destination?
I guess since you returned you hold fond memories of that trip but also started longing for another event or adventure!
It looks as if we are continuously living in a constant state of looking forward to something. And what’s ironic is that once this event happened we immediately start looking forward to something else. And what bothers me the most, is how over years or months, the memories fade, we forget the taste of the food we ate, the faces of people we met fade, and so do memories and details of the place we’ve been to.
Why am talking about this?
I often keep coming back to this one moment …
During my time at Lake Atitlan in Guatemala, one day I took a day trip to another cute colourful village. In order to get there, I had to take a so-called water taxi. As we embarked on the boat and took off, cutting through the waves of this incredible lake, I looked around in awe.
Did I ever think I would be here looking at this exotic beautiful land? All by myself. Exploring foreign lands with a backpack on my back and sun on my face? I had tears in my eyes, felt joy in my heart and gratitude in my whole self. Right there and then, I whispered to myself – remember this moment, make sure you remember this moment!
Why?
It upsets me that when I look at some of my previous trips I can hardly remember how I felt. I remember the places, the sites, the adventures I had, and the people I met. More or less. But even that fades away with time. For this, I’m so grateful for this blog as I have all those memories to come back to.
But if I could, I would create an internal hard drive just to keep all the memories as fresh as they were on that day.
So that day, I said to myself – remember this moment!
I looked around and took all the surroundings in, I breathed them in, I felt the feelings.
Do I remember this moment?
I still do! I can see and feel myself sitting in that boat. I see those stunning volcanoes, Maya people sharing a sit with me and arriving at the shore of San Marcos.
Why do I remember it so well?
The answer is simple.
I lived that moment! Deeply! I wanted the future me to remember it, so I made myself feel this moment with every inch of my body and soul. I stopped thinking about the next destination, what am I going to do once I arrive in San Marcos, where am I going to go tomorrow, how long my money is going to last me, and so on, and so on… I stopped. I felt my surroundings. I looked into the faces of my travel companions, and I felt gratitude. There and then.
Since then, I keep coming back to this moment, and the memories somehow didn’t fade.
What is the takeaway here? What have I learnt? How does this relate to everything in life?
Today’s worries will be forgotten tomorrow.
You will not remember a few years from now that you were tired, didn’t get enough sleep, someone annoyed you, you didn’t tick everything off your to-do list. What will you remember? What do you want to remember?
Do you want to remember those great moments of your life spent with your loved ones, spent in nature or taking on adventures? Then live those moments. Ask your future self, what do you want to remember from that day, from that moment in your life!
Is it your first day at work? Are you afraid you will not cope? What will your future self think about that moment?
Are you stressed that you need to spend so much time building a business? That it takes so much work, learning and that you might never get to where you want to get to? What would your future self advise you?
Are you angry at your kids for making a mess or not appreciating your hard work, or are you taking your work worries home? What do you want your future self to remember from this moment?
Remember, now is the most important moment you have.
Yesterday cannot be changed and the future cannot be predicted. Yet I think the great tool to help you truly enjoy the now is asking yourself, how do you want this moment to be remembered?
How do you feel right now? What is special about this day? What can you do today that your future self will be glad you did? And then go and do it! Go and feel it! Create moments that your future self will keep coming back to, with fondness and gratitude.
Today will never happen again, live it right now!
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