There are times when I catch myself wishing I was somewhere else other than where I am in the moment. And I have to pull my awareness back into the present. Where exactly is it I really want to be anyway? If I can't be happy where I am right now, I am not going to be happy anywhere. Happiness does not come from my external circumstances anyway. It comes from inside.
There is so much focus on the outside world, on external circumstances, events, and other people, that the power of our inner world lies largely untapped. But our internal feeling state is the only thing we can ever really control. You can never control the outside world or others. But in every moment, it is a choice we feel.
There is so much beauty in the every day: in the unfolding of a flower, in the sun rise, in the laughter of a friend, in the smile of a stranger, in the joy of following your passion, in the love for the people you hold dear, in the comfort of a hug, in the softness of a blanket, in the warmth of having a home...if we take our moments for granted and think that they have to be grand, we really miss out on the true gifts of life.
Make the ordinary extraordinary, because our lives are a series of ordinary moments. Stop and smell the roses. When I go for my daily walks and am in awe of the majestic trees, the colorful flowers, the clouds drifting in the sky, the chorus of the birds, I always feel sorry for the people in the cars that fly past me, so much in a hurry to get where they are going that they completely miss where they are. Don't let your moments pass you by.