Your Perfect Moment: See It and Feel It

I had a perfect moment last Thursday.

It was around 7:20 am when I saw it and felt it.

There was nothing remarkable about the moment. I was sitting on my couch, snuggled up to my dog with a blanket draped over both of us and watching a “Friends” re-run, with just a few minutes left on the clock before I had to get dressed, head out the door and go to work. The moment hit out of nowhere. One minute I was laughing at a joke Chandler made and the next I was overcome with emotion by the perfect moment.

Calm. Stillness. Peace. Happiness.

Endless thoughts about the sheer beauty of the moment.

And so I sat with that feeling for a bit.

I thought about how my day had jump-started—with a killer workout with my personal trainer. I reflected on how proud I am that I have chosen to invest in myself following a debilitating pinched nerve that left me sidelined for months.

I thought about the hilarious text I had received from my wonderful husband right after the gym—a dog GIF that described our dog to a T and brought a big ‘ole smile to my face.

I thought about my family and friends and the incredible relationships that leave me feeling supported and cared for each and every day.

I thought about my career and how grateful I am for all the amazing opportunities it has afforded me.

It was just a few moments, but in those moments nothing else mattered. Stress floated away. The “what ifs” and “could haves” drifted afar. All that was there was the beauty of that moment. The simplicity of that moment. I felt more present than I have in almost a year.

And let me tell you… it was INCREDIBLE.

The Missed Moments

There are countless articles out there about the importance of being more present in our lives—from celebrating the wins along the way to paying attention to our senses to become more grounded. That’s all well and good but the reality is that being present is HARD.

For me, it’s not that I struggle with being present in the sense of actively listening and remembering what’s happening. Conversely, I miss a lot of the beauty in moments because I am already thinking about the next moment. For example, instead of celebrating a milestone reached, I immediately set the next goal to achieve. Rather than slowing down and taking my time, I am naturally fueled to speed up and get more done. I am sure you are the same way.

As a result, I miss a lot. Not in terms of being there spiritually and emotionally, but rather in gleaning the wonder of that incredible moment.

Seeing and Feeling the Perfect Moment

Last year I did a lot of soul-searching, coming to terms with my lack of presence and, more importantly, beginning to do the hard work to figure out how to regain it. One critical exercise for me was choosing my Word of the Year for the first time ever.

It was a really hard process because this word had to represent the one thing I want more of this year. In the end, I choose Honor and it’s probably not defined in the way you think.

To me, Honor means:

Honoring exactly what my mind, body and spirit need at the exact moment they need it most.

Honoring my mind, for example, could mean reading a book for pleasure instead of for professional gain to enjoy escapism and exploration.   

Honoring my body could mean forgoing that Saturday morning workout because my body is sore and craves rest.

Honoring my spirit could mean spending less time with people who steal my energy and more time with those who nourish me.

My perfect moment last Thursday encapsulated all that I hope Honor will bring to me this year—a greater connection to my mind, body and spirit. It showed me that I have already made progress as I was able to see and feel a moment that has likely passed over me repeatedly.

Your world, like mine, is full of perfect moments daily that wish to be spotted by you. Sometimes they are obvious—like the birth of a child, a promotion, a significant birthday… the list goes on.

But I’d contend that the majority of perfect moments are actually much subtler. They are the ones that pass by regularly. The ones that are so quiet that we blink and miss them. The ones that can’t possibly seem perfect because they are too small.

Challenge yourself this year to see those moments, too.

The perfect moments of calm. Stillness. Peace. Happiness.

Feel those moments.

And in those moments, celebrate just how beautiful your journey is at this exact moment in time.