How a Bathing Bird Reminded Me to Live in the Present Moment
From a distance, it was all so beautiful. The branches swayed with the breeze. The leaves rustled. Birds alternated between the trees and damp, green grass, chirping at each other.
They ignored me as I strolled along the asphalt path along the perimeter of the park. I was supposed to be listening to the voice on the podcast, but I was lost in wonder.
Instead of completing my lap, I detoured to the left and sat on a bench under one of the swaying trees. For a minute, I sat on the bench and focused on my breathing, eyes closed.
I guess the birds decided I was harmless because they resumed their flitting all around me. One grey bird found a puddle in the grass. It dipped its head into the puddle jerkily.
That must have been refreshing because it decided to dip a little further, the water trailing down its back. It gave a shake and chirp before turning and sitting in the puddle. More shaking. More chirping.
I was reminded of the exhilaration of a cold shower first thing in the morning. Is that what this bird was feeling? I smiled watching it enjoy its morning bath.
Sitting on that bench amid the trees and birds and early morning sunshine, I felt the moment. No haunting from the past or looming responsibility of the future. Like that bird, I was enjoying the exhilaration available at the moment.
The past and future only exist in our minds. All we ever really have is now.
“Life is now. There was never a time when your life was not now, nor will there ever be.” -Eckhart Tolle
With a few changes to our day-to-day lives, we can all live more in the moment, the now. Some ways to live in the moment include:
1 — Being in nature: take a walk in a garden, park, or along a beach. Sit among the flowers and trees. Notice the natural world around you.
2 — Focus on the present: tune into your body, your breathing. Focus on whatever you are doing at the present moment and get your senses involved.
3 — Accept the present moment: acceptance of the present moment means accepting outcomes and circumstances that are not what we desired or preferred. We can either spend energy avoiding the present or lamenting it, but that energy is better spent accepting it and moving forward. Acceptance doesn’t mean you have given up or even that you like the present moment; you just accept that it is and choose what to do with that information.
4 — Uncertainty and unfolding: no matter how much you plan or what action steps you map out on your road to a desired goal, living in the present means allowing for uncertainty and unfolding. Once you let go of the responsibility of “making” things happen, there is excitement and joy in navigating uncertainties and watching as things unfold. The world around us is constantly changing! Allow yourself to experience the newness and uncertainty of the moment. Allow yourself the adventure of life unfolding.
In a world so focused on doing or crossing items off a list or reaching some goal, I am grateful for the freedom and opportunity to simply BE. To witness nature and feel connected to it. To feel the now-ness of time.
I am grateful for that little grey bird sharing its moment of exhilaration with me.
Jenita Lawal is a writer, certified professional coach, traveler, entrepreneur, and mother. After 20+years of living the American Dream, she sold everything and packed her suitcases to pursue the life of her dreams. She lives abroad in Mexico with her three teenage sons and loves exploring whenever there’s an opportunity. Connect with Jenita here.
