I remember the day I took this photo very clearly. That day I decided to venture out to a new part of town and take some photos for my Instagram. I don’t know why but for some reason I was super anxious that day. The whole time I’m shooting, instead of taking in my surroundings and the beauty of the art, I was worried about how I looked out there by myself, how my makeup looked, etc.. I wanted the shots to be perfect, and I spent a couple of hours in the heat trying to make sure they were. Even when I was satisfied with the pictures I took, all the way home, I worried about the editing, when I would post, what would I caption. It took me sitting still and scrolling my camera feed to take in the beautiful art structures that I was around that day. It dawned on me that even though I was there to work and I got my work done, I was not checked in.
During this time in quarantine, there have been many times where I’ve not been in the moment. My mind is always trying to move to the next thing before I can process what I’m currently doing. Being present is something that I’ve been struggling with lately. For instance, with this blog challenge, I’m planning, taking photos, and writing my posts. However, I can’t help but fast to forward to how the post will perform, who will read, is what I’m putting out there any good? Instead of congratulating myself for completing another day of blogging and putting my content out for the world to see, I’m thinking or worrying about four steps ahead.
This week during my morning meditation and yoga, I focused on my breathing and as the instructor was moving through the poses, she was saying over and over to get present.
I’ve done this same yoga class many times and yet, I’ve never paid attention to the instructor telling us to get present. The universe has been smacking me over the head for weeks now with the message to be in the moment. Be here now. It must be a reason for these messages, so it’s time to start listening. I don’t want to look up and not remember the sweet moments, even when they are not so sweet. Breathe, take a look around and be present.
XOXO-Lydia Marie
