"Take a moment to soak it in, relax and be grateful. Appreciate where you are on the way to where you are going, appreciate your progress.” That was the sermon that beautiful Sunday morning. The preacher continued “Stop what you are doing, pause for a minute and just take it all in. Take a moment to feel it and enjoy what you have now before you get carried away with the next thing you want.” Hearing those words took me back to a period/time when all I could do was soak it all in.
Stepping into 2017, I thought I had a plan on how I wanted everything to play out. I had carefully prayed and drawn up my goals and plans for 2017, but, what I didn’t consider was that, plans do change. Things we did not anticipate pop up and it looks like everything is getting all messed up and we feel like we are drowning, unsure of the next step to take. In moments like this, we tend to forget every other thing and all that clouds our mind, thoughts, and actions are how do we get over this, how do we handle it, how do we come up with a solution, how do we raise the money, how do we mend the relationship, how do we get the job, how do we get well again, how do we get over the bitterness and rage, how do we pass that exam, how do we … so many questions asked.
The first quarter of the year, for me, went as planned but then, I didn’t see what was coming in the 2nd quarter. Some things came up and it looked like I was going to be homeless by the end of April... Yeah, I just said homeless *wink*... I was having some bit of accommodation issues. The 'ish' with it was that I never saw that coming at the beginning of the year so I did not have a plan. Within three weeks I needed to find a new place, raise the money, get it set up and move into it. I obviously didn’t know where to start from or what to do. I felt so confused, dejected, angry, frustrated, helpless plus I had an examination to prepare for.
At the time, I was at my wit's end and I wasn’t certain how I was going to go about it. However, I had a friend who kept telling me “Seyi, it’s no big deal, you just have to make the first move and every other thing will fall in place. Everything always sorts itself out.” Surprisingly within that 3 weeks, everything did sort itself out. I had some good friends who did all they could to ensure I settled down nicely.
That night after my friends (Bolanle, Teedee and Tope) left, I kept saying thank you over and over again, I love you guys. I just paused in the middle of the room noticing what was around me and happening in the present moment and all I could do was soak it all in. For minutes I stood there not saying or doing anything, I was just appreciating and admiring the moment of what I had which no one could see. At that point nothing else mattered, I was simply grateful for where I was. It was magical. I wasn’t thinking about sorting the remaining bills, arranging the house, decorating, reading for my exam... I just stayed in the moment and I was very grateful. That was my moment when I soaked it all in.
Life happens fast. Whether we’re looking at the big picture or just day-to-day tasks, we always seem to be in a rush to get to the next thing. But in the hustle and bustle of it all, it seems like we’re fast-forwarding through some important stuff. We’ve gone from skimming the daily news to skimming everything. Many times we want something. We desire it, we work so hard towards it, we press to get that thing, and we pray to get it. When that thing finally comes, we need to take some time to soak it in, be grateful for it before we rush off to the next thing. That way we see the magic and miracles in our everyday lives.
You got the job you wanted, take a moment to soak it in before pondering on your bills.
Stepping into 2017, I thought I had a plan on how I wanted everything to play out. I had carefully prayed and drawn up my goals and plans for 2017, but, what I didn’t consider was that, plans do change. Things we did not anticipate pop up and it looks like everything is getting all messed up and we feel like we are drowning, unsure of the next step to take. In moments like this, we tend to forget every other thing and all that clouds our mind, thoughts, and actions are how do we get over this, how do we handle it, how do we come up with a solution, how do we raise the money, how do we mend the relationship, how do we get the job, how do we get well again, how do we get over the bitterness and rage, how do we pass that exam, how do we … so many questions asked.
The first quarter of the year, for me, went as planned but then, I didn’t see what was coming in the 2nd quarter. Some things came up and it looked like I was going to be homeless by the end of April... Yeah, I just said homeless *wink*... I was having some bit of accommodation issues. The 'ish' with it was that I never saw that coming at the beginning of the year so I did not have a plan. Within three weeks I needed to find a new place, raise the money, get it set up and move into it. I obviously didn’t know where to start from or what to do. I felt so confused, dejected, angry, frustrated, helpless plus I had an examination to prepare for.
At the time, I was at my wit's end and I wasn’t certain how I was going to go about it. However, I had a friend who kept telling me “Seyi, it’s no big deal, you just have to make the first move and every other thing will fall in place. Everything always sorts itself out.” Surprisingly within that 3 weeks, everything did sort itself out. I had some good friends who did all they could to ensure I settled down nicely.
That night after my friends (Bolanle, Teedee and Tope) left, I kept saying thank you over and over again, I love you guys. I just paused in the middle of the room noticing what was around me and happening in the present moment and all I could do was soak it all in. For minutes I stood there not saying or doing anything, I was just appreciating and admiring the moment of what I had which no one could see. At that point nothing else mattered, I was simply grateful for where I was. It was magical. I wasn’t thinking about sorting the remaining bills, arranging the house, decorating, reading for my exam... I just stayed in the moment and I was very grateful. That was my moment when I soaked it all in.
Life happens fast. Whether we’re looking at the big picture or just day-to-day tasks, we always seem to be in a rush to get to the next thing. But in the hustle and bustle of it all, it seems like we’re fast-forwarding through some important stuff. We’ve gone from skimming the daily news to skimming everything. Many times we want something. We desire it, we work so hard towards it, we press to get that thing, and we pray to get it. When that thing finally comes, we need to take some time to soak it in, be grateful for it before we rush off to the next thing. That way we see the magic and miracles in our everyday lives.
You got the job you wanted, take a moment to soak it in before pondering on your bills.
You got admission in school after so long, soak it in before worrying about school fees.
You passed that 1st stage of the exam, soak it in before worrying about the next stage.
You got pregnant, soak it in before getting anxious about wanting a boy instead of a girl.
You finally got married, soak it in before worrying about getting pregnant.
Yes, we need to plan ahead for the next phase but it is important we enjoy every moment as they come, appreciating our achievements while working towards achieving greater ones. Try to stay present. How often are we truly present in our lives? It’s hard, isn’t it? We have so many things to do, place to be, people to see. We all know that we should slow down and enjoy life more. We may try for a little while, but then we’re off to the races again, filling our lives with more busyness and distractions.
Lean into the moment and don’t be afraid to just slow things down. It’s taking little moments in the day and just really treasuring the moments that bring out the beauty of life. Those small victories are important in winning the war.
Take a deep breath. Soak in this moment for all that it is.
Yes, we need to plan ahead for the next phase but it is important we enjoy every moment as they come, appreciating our achievements while working towards achieving greater ones. Try to stay present. How often are we truly present in our lives? It’s hard, isn’t it? We have so many things to do, place to be, people to see. We all know that we should slow down and enjoy life more. We may try for a little while, but then we’re off to the races again, filling our lives with more busyness and distractions.
Lean into the moment and don’t be afraid to just slow things down. It’s taking little moments in the day and just really treasuring the moments that bring out the beauty of life. Those small victories are important in winning the war.
Take a deep breath. Soak in this moment for all that it is.
