Post-It

By Pastor Paul Gauche

Today’s Word: ‘Post-It’ as in… the important note I wrote myself: “Where are you right now? Come back.”

My natural tendency is to jump ahead, to think about what’s next. Because I’m thinking about being “there” in the next moment I often miss some of the deepest joy of being here in this moment. I’ve had to work on slowing down, coming to a full stop in order to be here, now, in this moment.

The art of coming back takes effort, but here’s how I roll with it: If you and I are talking, and I’m mentally somewhere else, I need help to come back.

To do that, I do three things.

First, I breathe. Taking time to focus on the rhythm of my breathing helps me come back. Andy Puddicombe, the co-founder and host of Headspace, the meditation and mindfulness platform, has taught me how to focus on breathing; specifically, the sensation of the rising and falling of my chest. When I focus on my breathing and what’s going on with my body, I’m more able to come back to you from wherever I was a moment ago.

Second, I savor. While you’re talking to me, I’m resisting the urge to figure out where you’re going with the conversation. Instead of managing the destination of your train of thought, I let myself be the passenger. I’m along for the ride. I savor your words as they roll out. I hear them. I listen to them. And when I catch myself formulating my next sentence as you’re still talking, I come back to the breath and savor the moment.

Finally, I dwell. A deep breath opens me up to this moment with you. I’m here, now, listening, savoring, hearing. When we allow ourselves to dwell in the present moment, we arrive at the invitation to be awake, aware, and available to what’s going on right here, right now in this moment. It’s in this moment of awakening, of coming to a deeper awareness and availability of what’s actually happening right here, right now that we experience thriving life, and more life.

#100days50words

Paul Gauche is the Pastor of Life Transitions at Prince of Peace. His posts are part of his #100days50words project, where be blogs about a different word each day. You can follow his project on Instagram (@pgauche), or on his blog, Thriving Rhythms.