Embrace the moment!

I've been trying something new as of late. I'm not very proficient at it yet. I still slide very quickly back into the predominant way of thinking that has been molded and shaped over time and situations. I find this new way of functioning challenging and exciting at the same time!

What I am attempting to do is to take every unique moment that pops up in my day and embrace it for what it is! That demands that I try to define what 'it' actually is. What I am coming to realize is that by doing so, my day is actually much more powerful. Much more enjoyable. Filled with much more potential.

I am attempting to embrace each turn of the day as an embraceable moment of reality that should be used to enrich my life and someone else's.

Two days ago I had to run an errand to the paint store. I view paint stores like my wife views hunting equipment.....why do they exist? It goes without saying that I was not looking forward to this little trip.

Then I reminded myself that this is a turn in my day that I need to embrace. I need to look forward to what this moment has to afford and take it and make something great out of it.

It happened!

There were people in the store requiring that I wait in line. In front of me was a young mom with a two year old girl and a baby in the car seat tote thingymajig! My first impulse was to do my normal mental shuffle and calculate how much time I'm going to waste by waiting for the clerks to answer a billion questions and then finally help, but I didn't go there. She came to me!

Yep, that two year old came around the corner of the aisle with two paint rollers up to her eyes and looked up at her mom and said, "smile!". There was my moment! I rolled up the paper I had in my hand and looked at her and said "cheeze!". We were buds from that moment on.

For the next 15 minutes we made animal sound noises with our rolled up papers and had a ball! What I didn't realize is that there was a line of men behind me and as the little girl and I began to make 'piggy' noises, I was startled when I heard one guy say, "I could never do that!".

Here's the kicker: when the mom left with her baby, two year old, and clerk carrying the paint, the two year old came back to me and wanted to play some more. Her mom came rushing to the door wondering where her daughter was and then saw her with me. She laughed and called her by name and off they went.

What a great embraceable moment! I made a new little friend. I didn't get bummed out about having to wait in line in a store that I would rather not be in, and besides, it gave me a chance to really hone my barnyard sounds!! The pig is really coming along!!!!

MTC!
Mark