Are you living in the moment?

I used to find it hard unplug from work and dive into a game of Batmom and Spiderboy vs the Green Goblin with my 4 year old. But now, I welcome the sudden change of pace. In the end, it makes me more focused and productive. You could say my son is teaching me to live in the moment.Loik and I decided we would spend our afternoon at the beach today. Fall is just around the corner and the water is to cold to swim so we decided we would create sand people instead. (Castles are so like, yesterday… )

Loik decided to make his own sand spiderman. He carefully shaped the head, body and legs. He added arms and fingers and of course some webs that jutted out from the wrists…

It was great to see him have so much fun being creative. He was quite proud of himself and I was too!

I offered to take a picture of his masterpiece so we could show his dad later on.

He agreed but told me to hurry. He was laughing and giggling and he was running and jumping over his sand dude.

One second after I took the picture I asked him what he wanted to do with his sand creation.

I want to squish it and make another one he said laughing…

(It kind of reminded me of the Tibetan Monks who spend days making intricate sand Mandala‘s only to destroy it shortly after it’s completion. This is done as a metaphor of the impermanence of life.)

I thought it was really interesting that he didn’t have the need to save his work or build a little rock perimeter around it to “protect it” or leave it there for others to see. I thought about how, earlier that day, I had saved my design AND created a backup just in case. (I’m comparing apples and oranges but you get the point…)

Young kids are true masters when it comes to living in the moment. They can spend time and energy creating something without having the need for it to be permanent. They enjoy the moment to the fullest without attachment to an outcome of any kind. Seems blissful doesn’t it?

Thanks to my son, I’m learning to live in the moment.

It’s easier than you think… all you have to do is breathe deeply, clear your mind, and open your heart.