reflections on a wandering mind . . .

I recently returned from a refreshing alone time journey into the mountains – spending 5 days and 4 nights without much human interaction I was fascinated by the experience in so many ways.

One reflection I am in constant awe of is the human mind’s ability to distract ourselves from the present moment!

Despite my efforts to live each moment with consciousness, I was surprised by my own mind’s constant need for “filling in time”, especially because I was blessed with an abundance of time with very little means for distractions (no phone, internet, companion, just a simple existence).

I was surprised with the ease that my mind constantly moved from one task to the next before the moment arrived to actually do the task . . .

Ok, now after I make dinner, I’m going to look at the map and plan my route for tomorrow, then I’m going to read for a couple of hours, then I’m going to . . . .

And so on and so on . . . .

Many times I caught myself “planning” on what I was going to make for dinner or thinking about a conversation I had with a friend of mine weeks ago, stewing about a problem at work . . . all while hiking through some of the most stunning scenery . . . so absorbed in my own endless thought train that I was missing half of the experience I was presently in!

This made me wonder . . .

What experiences am I missing out on by not being mentally or consciously in the present moment?

What are the lessons the universe is trying to tell me that I am too distracted to listen to?

Towards the end of my trip, I noticed with practice, my mind and body begin to relax and settle into the ease of enjoying each moment, mountain view, bobcat track on the trail, mountain goat hidden in the immense cliff, even the words on the page of the book I had brought.

So here is a little reminder to us all – our life in our physical bodies is finite, our experiences are vastly incredible, remember to send yourself a little reminder to pay attention to the moment you are living in now.

Remember to pay attention.