In the now...

I was reading this post by Miss.Mustard Seed the other day and boy, how it resonated with me!   She was talking about being present in the moment- enjoying the now, and not just looking forward to the next big thing.  That is a struggle for people like us who are so project oriented.  I am a list maker, a goal setter- a DOER.   Going over the list of things to do and crossing off what has been completed has always been a huge part of who I am and how I think.  I am very task oriented in both my professional and private life.

The book of life...

Quitting teaching was so incredibly liberating for me.  For the first year I lived my life much like someone who had experienced a close brush with death, because for me it felt just like that.  I was suffocating creatively and not able to achieve the goals I had set for myself.  In short, many lists were made, but very little was crossed off.  I was dying.  Leaving that environment and letting myself breathe creatively was the smartest thing I've ever done.  Now I teach, but in a way that is creative and fulfilling for me, but also directly meets the needs of my students and feeds them creatively.   I couldn't be happier.

I've also learned to embrace the process that happens between making my list and crossing it off.  I used to be so impatient for that line to be scratched in my planner, but now I really wake up each day and look forward to the small steps that will be accomplished.  Glitches and hiccups that used to irritate me, now give me an opportunity to embrace problem solving and push me in my creative thinking.  I've flipped the lens so to speak, and try to live in the moment (even the upsetting ones) and truly feel what is going on around me instead of looking to the finished product.  In doing that I find that I enjoy the finish so much more because I took the time to relish the during.  

I'm not a happiness expert, but making this slight change in how I view a project, and really paying attention to finding joy in the process has made all the difference in the world for me.  Instead of thinking, "When we get moved in...." or "When that gets built/finished..." and picturing the happy moment happening then, I now realize that it's in the day to day, the hiccups and glitches, the process.

It is there that the joy lies waiting to be discovered.

LungLeavin' Day...

Recently I was contacted by Cameron Von St.James, the husband of Heather- a mesothelioma survivor.  Yes, you read that right survivor.  Mesothelioma is a very rare form of cancer that kills most people within two years of diagnosis.  Heather was given 15 months to live after just giving birth to her little girl, Lily.  She underwent a life saving surgery and removed one of her lungs, and has now been cancer free for eight years.  It is nothing short of a medical miracle.

 Heather and her family decided to name that day LungLeavin' Day.  The purpose of LungLeavin' Day is to encourage others to face their fears. I cannot imagine what Heather had to face given such a grim prognosis, but the fears must have been overwhelming.

I love the power of positive thinking.  I am a realist, but also an optimist.  It has been documented in medical journals time and time again that the attitude of a patient has a lot to do with the outcome/success of their recovery.  Heather proved just that.  She embraced each day and lived it, without spending too much time planning or dwelling on what might happen in the future.  She threw her fears into the fire- something we all need to do now and then.

Heather and her family celebrate LungLeavin' Day by writing their fears on a plate and then literally smashing it into a fire.  Although February 2nd has passed I wanted to share her story here with you because I feel the message is something we need to remember every day of the year.

If you could write one of your greatest fears on a plate what would it be?  Does it take up your time living by worrying about it?   Sometimes we can become so consumed with a worry to the point of missing the beautiful time we have to really live.  Heather and her family have made it a practice to live in the moment and squeeze the most out of their one incredible life.  You don't have to have cancer or a life threatening disease to learn from that.

The happiest people are those who live in the moment and really enjoy where they are.  Living life thinking that you will just be happy when you get a new job, car, take a trip, or something else happens  in the future robs you of your enjoyment of where you are right now.  Heather and her family were forced into living in the now, but I can guarantee that they are happier for it.  They realize that each day truly is a gift, and we could learn a lot from their example.

To learn more about Cameron and Mesothelioma you can check out his website here.  You can read more about Heather and her journey here.