I think every new parent lives with a camera in their hand, always ready to snap a photo or capture a video of all the cute things their baby does. I was definitely that mom, and to a certain degree I still am.
My smartphone is full of pictures and videos of my daughter. Most of them show our daily craziness or my failed attempts at trying to get the perfect artistic photo. But then, there are those that capture the unexpected moments you don’t want to forget.
I remember the day I picked up my camera and started to record my baby girl playing with an old lunch bag on the kitchen floor. She would always put them on her shoulders as if they were purses. I thought it was extremely cute.
As I pushed the record button, I watched as she examined every inch of the bag, turning it from one end to the other.
Then, with the camera still rolling, she stood up, grabbed that old lunch bag from the floor, put it on her arm and took off.
Those were her first steps.
And I captured the entire moment.
If I had turned the camera off to clean the mess of coolers and lunch bags she’d left on the floor beside me, I would have missed it.
If I had turned off my camera because I had seen enough of what I knew she could do, I would have missed it.
If I had done anything else but stay focused on the moment, I would have missed it.
We can miss out on a lot in life when we’re not focused–because we’re not present.
Whether you’re capturing your child meet a milestone or finding the inspiration that could help change your life, you have to be present or you’ll miss it.
Being present is being focused on what’s happening right now. It’s not thinking about work or chores when we’re playing with our kids. It’s putting away the phone or not paying attention to the TV when someone it talking to you. It’s not letting your mind wander, and engaging in the moment.
It can be hard when you have the clock right in front of you, counting you down until the next thing. Or there’s a laundry pile in the corner of your eye, reminding you of all you think you should be doing or should have done a long time ago.
But being present is necessary to remember.
Author and playwright Tennessee Williams once said, “Life is all memory, except for the one present moment that goes by you so quickly you hardly catch it going.”
If we truly want to live inspired lives, we have to catch those inspiring moments and hold on to them. So we can store them in our hearts and minds, and the process of change can begin.
This is Day 8 of the series, 31 Days of Inspired Living. Join me through the month of October as I write about what I think it looks like to find the inspiration that makes us better. I’ll also offer some encouragement for your journey. In case you missed a day, you can find previous posts in the series here.
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