Live in the Moment!

"The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly."

Buddah 

     It has been so long since I've posted.  I've been collecting stories, ideas, and tidbits......I've written and rewritten entries, but somehow I haven't made it to the computer to actually publish them.  My attention had gone to mundane things, you know, things like figuring out how to make ends meet, telling myself I have to eat healthier, and of course, keeping the litter box immaculate.  What I realized was that I was worried too much about what has happened or what may happen.  I'd been breaking an important rule of life: Live in the moment!
     To live in the now means being in the present with all of my senses. It means not reliving the past or worrying about the stuff I can't control.  If I'd concentrate my attention on the present I could focus on the task at hand and give my full attention to what I'm doing.  Goddess knows I haven't been doing that.  I'm all over the board, not focused on any particular thing.
     Step one (for me) was to get a handle on focusing. That would mean trying to meditate daily and to try different "methods".   I feel good that this is now becoming a daily habit, not the hit-and-miss practice of old.
     But today while online I came across an interesting website called Writing Our Way Home. (http://www.writingourwayhome.com/p/river-jan-12.html#badge).  They proclaim "Welcome!  We want to help you slow down & and fall in love with the world through mindful writing."  I was intrigued!  Then I saw that a challenge was issued:
The Everso Quick Version: 1. Notice something properly every day during January.
2. Write it down.
     That was it...well sort of...One was to write a "small stone" daily.  "And a small stone is?" I asked myself.  I read on to find out that "A small stone is a very short piece of writing (prose or poetry) that precisely captures a fully-engaged moment."  Well, isn't that what I am trying to do, stay in the moment?
     I've always loved a good challenge!  This one could help me focus in the here and now and get me back into writing, journaling, and blogging.  Why not?  Be prepared, there's 31 days of this...any one want to journey with me?
Small Stone for January 2, 2013:
"As I move my hand I realize I am not alone....
There on my lap is a soft gray purring ball of fur.  I smile, scratch her ears and silently wonder, "How long has she been here?"