Loving the Moment

One of the messages that constantly comes my way is that all God expects of you in life is to fully enjoy the now. To fully appreciate what you are doing right at this moment. Notice the sounds, smells, sights, tastes and the touch of things. If you are with someone, really listen to them, look at them, appreciate their company. If you are doing an activity really think about what you are doing and be grateful for the opportunity. All God expects from you is to love the here and now, to find the joy in every moment. It is so easy to do things on auto pilot and to miss out on the small blessings and the beauty of the everyday. The other day my mind was full of thoughts about an event that had disturbed me. I was so consumed with those thoughts about something that has passed now, is history, I didn't realise one of my favourite songs was playing on the radio until it had almost ended. If we were all truly present in everything we do we wouldn't over eat or over spend because we would be truly thinking about what we were putting in our bodies and what we really needed to spend our money on. We could find the joy and purpose in the most mundane activity and if it wasn't bringing us joy we would actively look for ways to change that. 'How can I make this moment a joyful one?' Thinking that way would put an end to mindlessly spending hours watching TV or on social media. If I can work at being present, even just being aware when I'm not present is a start,  then I think I will be heading on the right path.
(Inspired by Eckhart Tole's book 'The Power of Now').