Slow down, be here.
Have you ever felt like you were rushing through life as if it were a race to get to whatever goal, dream, or desire you find yourself chasing after? Maybe you’ve felt like you were just passing through life waiting for the day that you finally get there.
I’ll be the first to say that I have. I’ve experienced both of these. I’ve also fallen into believing the lie that “I will finally be happy when I get there.”
Depending on the person, “there” could be a variety of things. It could be finishing school, getting into a relationship, landing a dream job, buying a new place, launching a business, earning a certain amount of money, starting a family, etc.
While these things would definitely bring anyone a certain amount of happiness, the idea that they could ever give us final happiness, complete satisfaction, or true fulfillment is a lie.
Here is why: “there” is always moving.
As long as we continue living, there will always be a next “there.” There will be another goal to accomplish, a next dream to chase, or a new desire to obtain. So, if we live our lives waiting to get “there” to be happy we will miss the opportunity to be happy here. Our moments of happiness will be few and far in between.
Life is mostly made up of “here” moments. These are the everyday, ordinary, mundane moments. Unfortunately, we often miss the beauty of these moments because we are so focused on getting “there.”
The alternative? Slow down, be here.
Take a moment each day to pause and stop thinking about what you don't have yet, or what you haven't accomplished yet. Instead, begin to focus on what you do have. Be present and thankful for what life looks like right now.
There’s a lot of power in this. It increases our gratitude. It shifts our perspective from happiness being something that is far away to something that is found now.
Lastly, it is going to take some trust to live in the present. Personally, I have placed my faith in Jesus and decided that I am going to trust God with my future. Living in the present requires me to entrust God with what I can not control in the future in order to enjoy what He’s already given me in the present. This kind of surrender, or release of control, is not always easy, but it allows me to live the most free and full life that I have ever known.
I hope that we can all experience more of this kind of life. The kind that is not rushing or waiting to get “there” to be happy. The kind that sees the beauty of the here and now. The kind that can be grateful. The kind that can trust that the future things will work out. The kind that is not afraid to slow down and be here.