Smelling the Roses

Image by Alfred Borchard

Like the average person, I have a whole slew of things I'd call faults or flaws, but at the moment I'm thinking the biggest one is the trouble I have with stopping to smell the roses. Somehow, I'm always focused on what I have to do next or what's coming up in the future. The only time I'm fully relaxed is when I'm asleep. Sometimes my mind is on work. You know, instead of being fully present for a walk out in the fresh air, I'm thinking about a freelance article I have to write later. Sometimes it's fun stuff. Like while I'm watching a movie, I'm thinking about an upcoming vacation. The problem is, whether it's work or play, always looking ahead keeps me from enjoying the present. And I'm starting to think it's preventing me from fully living.

My toddler is the perfect opposite of me when it comes to this. When we're out on a walk or in the yard, she's crouching down to stare at an ant or picking up a rock to feel its weight and texture. And she's fully engrossed. If I want to take her inside, it's hard work because she's so fully involved in whatever she's doing. Even enticing her with things I know she likes doesn't tear her away, at least not without kicking and screaming. And let me just say this little person is interested in everything. She notices every bee, stick, bug, flower, bird, or plane that comes into view. I love watching her little face light up when she sees a ladybug and the huge grin she gets when she hears a puppy bark or a bird tweet. I want to be more like that, taking life a little slower, taking the time to revel in more of the little things, and feeling less daily stress.

So often, I think Wow! This day went sooooo fast! And I definitely catch myself wondering how my 20 year old grew up so darned fast. I really don't want the time to fly by (except when I'm in line, at the dentist, or getting a pelvic exam), so I have to make more of an effort to stop and smell the roses without thinking about grocery shopping, my next oil change, or how many articles I have in my queue.

Here's hoping I can break this bad habit. Unfortunately, I'm not off to the greatest of starts. I've already made a mental list of 10 other things I need to do just in the time it took to write this post.