I’m really not much of a sweets person, but I do have to admit — I have an ice cream weakness.
The other day, I stopped at a fancy new ice cream shop and ordered a chocolate zucchini bread flavored scoop. The first bite was incredible. I was completely in bliss. But as I continued eating and talking to my friend, I suddenly realized I was on the last bite. I didn’t even remember tasting the middle of it.
So I asked myself: Did I enjoy the moments in between? And if I didn’t — were those calories really worth it?
Life works the same way.
Life is like an hourglass — it only exists in the narrow space between the past and the future. We can’t re-live yesterday, and we can’t fast-forward to tomorrow. And yet, most of us spend the majority of our time everywhere except the present moment.
I’m not saying we need to be perfectly mindful all the time — that’s unrealistic. But we can choose to spend a few more seconds each day actually noticing the good moments while we’re in them.
When something brings you joy — even something tiny — pause, take one breath. Feel it. Let the moment land.
The present is where life actually happens. It’s where joy exists. It’s where you taste every layer of the chocolate zucchini bread ice cream.
Mmm.