Living in the Moment

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This year the media seems like they have globed on to the idea of Living in the Moment.  For many years, the media’s theme for lifestyle was Balance.  I don’t know about you but trying to balance our lives just seemed to be a moving target. After all Life is Messy.

Living in the Moment however is a skill we have the power to cultivate.

 Living in the Moment requires toning down our busy minds and appreciating what is good right now.  Let your senses engage, feel the breeze on our skin, breath in the  scents around us, focus on the people in front of us and start to enjoy what is good…right now.  When we have practiced Living in the Moment we tend to be happier and more appreciative of what is going right.

 It is when we try to plan or master the future that stress enters in and we start to feel like control is slipping away.  John and I are big idea people.  We love taking on business or creative projects, envisioning all the possibilities.  This is both a blessing and a curse.  Because we are pretty fearless about trying new things, we have had some wonderful experiences and opportunities in our lives.  However, often the preparation and thought that goes into making these Dreams come true can be a torturous and emotional process.  No pain, no gain I guess.

 Again, Life is Messy.

 This year has been like most years, one of big efforts and mixed results.  Itchy Nomads launched last January 1st and it has been a wonderful new child in our life that has brought unexpected joys of new friends, rich experiences and the satisfaction of growing new skills.   Our largest commitment however has been to grow our business.  We have committed the majority of our focus and time to expanding the companies we represent and helping them to meet their goals.  This brings both satisfaction and a sense that we have never done enough.  What we are striving to achieve for our clients never seems to be turned off in our brains or our actions.  It doesn’t seems to be a Living in the Moment lifestyle. 

When will be we Happy?  When business is even greater? When we are thinner? When we are richer? When we are freer?

Maybe we have been asking the wrong question. 

Our experience is that Contentment is the preferred state, not Happiness.  When we have found ourselves content, Happiness seems to automatically fill in.

Contentment is in all of us. We were born to be happy.

Years ago when we preparing to go cruising in our sailboat, we took a night class called, “Medicine at Sea”.  The jovial Doctor who taught the class with a cigarette in one hand and a glass of whisky in the other shared the following cautionary note. “When you sail away, you take your problems with you.  Don’t expect things to be any better anywhere else.” 

We already have everything you need, we always have.  Let’s love our unique, quirky, flawed, wonderful SELVES.  Let’s be grateful for the people in our lives, the health we have right now, the wealth we already enjoy and our creativity that keeps our Dreams forming. 

Let’s throw out the idea of New Year’s Resolutions.

We don’t need them!

So with the gift of 2015 upon us, let us as a community of Itchy Nomads be grateful for all we have in ourselves, our lives and our present.  Collectively if we practice living in the moment we are likely to achieve more bliss in our lives and spread in a ripple effect.


Budda On an Ancient Wall in China,

Where a brooding Buddha blinks,

Deeply graven is the message

It is later than you think.

 

The clock of life is wound but once

And no one has the power,

To know just when the hands will stop

At late or early hour.

 

Now is all the time you have

The Past a Golden Link

Go cruising now my brother it is later then you think.

 

                                         Anonymous

  

We want to take this Moment to THANK each of YOU fellow Itchy Nomads for your part in this Caravan.  You truly have made this a Wonderful year.  May 2015 exceed your greatest wishes.

 

7 thoughts on “Living in the Moment

  1. Inspirational. Keep on lifting us up. We may not be traveling anymore but we are loving our little beach house here in Mexico. Looking forward to a wonderful New Year and many more fascinating stories.

    • So kind of you to say Barbara. Your support on the Caravan means so much! Would love to hear more about your Little Beach House in Mexico. Can you please send us details and pictures? Details about the purchase process, cost to buy, cost to live may be the makings of a nice blog posting. If of course you are interested. Wishing you health and happiness in 2015.

  2. Congratulations on a year of interesting information .

    We really look forward to your “Itchy Nomads”. It is so well written and full of great inspiring ideas
    and new and interesting opportunities to explore.

    Best regards on all future endeavors.

    Your constant readers, Wayne and Nancy in Knights Landing, California

  3. Happy New Year, Suzanne and John. Keep living in the moment! And Happy 1st Anniversary of Itchy Nomads.

    George in Irvine, California

  4. Hi Suzanne, first a Happy New Year to you and all close to you. Thank you for the many happy further years for the Itchy Nomads. I love it as a constant reminder of what is possible. I am still working on making it also an inspiration to make things possible. You can give us ideas and show examples, but we, your friends and readers have to make the steps ourselves. I am working on it, however poorly, and am looking forward to your coming reminders.

    Rainer- Dortmund, Germany

  5. Suzanne and John, Congratulations on your First year of Itchy Nomads. You have made an interesting and inspiring look into what is possible for any of us. It is so interesting and well written that it can turn dreams into reality. Well done and have a wonderful 2015

    • Great to hear from you Peter & Glenda. Thank you very much for your congratulations. We’ve shared many a dream together and it’s nice to see others excited or trying their own paths. If in any small way we can aid each other in making dreams come true as a community, we’d be honored. Thank you so much for the sweet complements on the postings. Really appreciate your opinions. Wishing you ALL a delightful and healthy 2015!

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