“There is only one world, the world pressing against you at this minute. There is only one minute in which you are alive, this minute here and now. The only way to live is by accepting each minute as an unrepeatable miracle.” ~Anonymous

Reading this quote had a deep impact on me.

There is only one minute in which you are alive, this minute here and now. How very true, yet easily forgotten.

Most of our lives we spend worrying or planning for the future, or looking back at past hurts or mistakes. “If only certain events hadn’t of happened. If only I had made this decision or that, how my life would be different?”

I have spoken to people that still have not forgiven someone that hurt them 40 years ago. And if you talk about forgiveness, they will say, “but you don’t know what they did to me.” And their right i don’t. But to allow someone to affect your thinking after 40 years?

This is not a piece on forgiveness so I will leave it there. You can find more on forgiveness here.

This is a piece on accepting each minute as an unrepeatable miracle.

Before my brother moved house I used to visit him several times a week. He is a graphic designer which means being on his laptop. But when I was there he would be checking his phone while watching the tv.

In the beginning I would mention it as personally I could not work with that much distraction, but thats how he had always worked, and who was I to judge.

Have we got so used to distractions that we don’t know a world without them?

In my own life I have found that if I’m stressed or anxious, a walk in a forest or along a stream, or in nature in general has a calming effect on my mind. I never gave it much thought before now, why this was the case but in reflection I come to the conclusion that, for me a walk in nature connects me to the present moment.

While walking in the forest (my favourite place to walk) my mind has so much new information to process. As each step below my feet is different, meaning I need to use my arms for balance. Then depending on the weather there could be several puddles of water on my path that I have to avoid.

The air within the trees is at its purest which is instantly noticeable as it almost feels lighter, a strange feeling which has to be experienced, hard to put into words. On top of all that trees have a way of blocking the sounds from nearby motorways and amplifying the sounds within the forest itself.

All of this influx of sensory stimulation has my mind on overdrive and thoughts of worry or anxiety fade away, and a new web of thoughts are born. Thoughts of connection, thoughts of nature, thoughts about how magnificent our creator is.

Very often after my walk the negative thoughts return but compared to the powerful thoughts I experienced in the forest they seem so insignificant.

Noticing Your Cycle

When I’m going about my week, my days are fully booked, I write a list first thing in the morning. My plan for the day, all the things I would like to achieve.

Then on top of that there is distractions, I get an email I must reply too, or somewhere I have to go that I hadn’t planned. Or a news story catch’s my attention that changes my mood.

Without a break from this information overload the worries and anxious thoughts build up. Resulting in me not being as patient as usual, not as focused on my work, haven’t got the same drive or energy.

Over the years I have become better at spotting when I need a break and connect with nature. Just that connection to something that makes me realise just how insignificant my problems are in the grand scheme of things.

For me its walking in a forest, for you it could be climbing a mountain or swimming in the sea.

It’s all about finding that one activity that engages the senses and connects you to nature. That helps you to live life one step at a time rather that in fast forward.

Thanks for reading.

“There is only one world, the world pressing against you at this minute. There is only one minute in which you are alive, this minute here and now. The only way to live is by accepting each minute as an unrepeatable miracle.” ~Anonymous

Read this quote at this excellent blog with helpful advice from Dr. Eric Perry.