I went to see Titanic in 3D last week. It was awesome. I mean, I was 11 when the movie came out, and it pretty much set the tone for the entirety of my pre-teenage years. I am not usually a fan of anything in 3D, as I am a ‘late adopter’ of a lot of cinematic trends. However, I found myself downright giddy as I walked into the theater. I told everyone where I was going, even strangers on the street. I even called my parents and my sister in a conference call so I could tell them where I was going. The experience was lovely, and in case you are curious, I wept like a baby. I officially started crying 15 minutes into the movie… when they loaded the ship. Anyway, the whole thing got me thinking. There are so many days that pass me by. My mind tends to sit in the future. I am always looking forward to what is coming. I often find myself anxiously anticipating instead of living in the present. Life happens in 3D, but I think there is so much of it I only take in 2D. In an attempt to change this pattern and become fully present in my everyday happenings, I created a list! I love lists, and I think this is useful to start living your day-to-day life freshly and fully.
1) Assess your daily plans. This means making a game plan for how your day will look. It means taking the time to know your schedule. It means taking control.
2) Acknowledge the good and bad news you have to deal with today. This means not shying away from the bad. This means giving yourself credit for the good.
3) Try new things. This means walk a different way to work. It means eat something you haven’t eaten before. It means brush your teeth a different way. It can mean a number of things, but the more you shake things up the more conscious you become of even the most mundane tasks.
4) Breathe through the good and the bad things. Don’t shut down to changes, or problems, or unsuspected benefits. Embrace everything. Breathe through everything.
So here are 4 ways to really allow yourself to be more present in all parts of your life. I think this is something that is so crucial for us to do, and it is something that is so easy to overlook. Living in the present is vital for us to experience life, death, and everything in between. Also, if movies can be that much more real in 3D why would we short ourselves of the same experience. Everyday can be just as good as spending an entire afternoon in a movie theater watching something you already know ends badly… right? I, for one, am on board.
Post authored by Trevor Worden
