The Last Word

Stay Present
Aug 7, 2023
Karla St. Myers, Editor
The Last Word

As the infamous, yet mindful Ferris Bueller once said, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

Where do the days ago? Where do the years go? As I sit here wrapping up our fall issue of Living Northeast Indiana, I’m feeling Bueller’s sentiments now more than ever. My oldest daughter will be seven this coming November, and I often find myself wondering how in the world that can be possible. 

I’m sure many of you are with me on this – we spend our childhood wishing for time to speed up, and our adulthood yearning for time to slow down. The busyness of life moves us swiftly from day to day, so how do we stay present and try not to miss the moments that count? I find it (some days) to be incredibly tough. Hectic schedules, never-ending to-do-lists and responsibilities inevitably shift our focus from the now to the past or future. The following practices have helped me, and hopefully they will help you, too:

  • Simplify your life – Remove the clutter! Most of the “stuff” we’ve accumulated, we do not need
  • Keep a gratitude journal or set aside time every day to focus on what you are thankful for – It’s easy to focus on the negative, but be thankful for what you do have: physical and mental health, relationships, overall well-being
  • Unplug – Make a commitment to put your phone down
  • Make time for your friends – We are all busy, but humans need connection. Have in-person or over-the-phone conversations with your friends
  • Be kind – Not always easy, right? But, it’s one of the easiest ways to live in the moment. We’ve all heard it before, but it’s so true — you do not know what the person next to you is going through, so be kind
  • Smile – Smiling makes you feel good and it will make someone else’s day, too. Be like Buddy the Elf, not the Grinch 

Resource: happierhuman.com 



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