Is the moment missing, or did you miss the moment? Are we looking for something that has become misplaced, or are we truly missing something that can never be replaced? A moment in time is something to be cherished, honored, and anticipated. We foolishly believe that we have all the time in the world, that moments are in full supply, and that we can regain moments that we have missed. We treat missing moments like something that has been lost, anxiously looking around as if we were trying to discover where we placed the keys to our car. We ignorantly utter phrases such as:
- “I am going to work a lot while my children are young, so I will have more time with them when they are older.”
- “If I only had more time in my day, I could spend more time with my friends and family.”
- “I don’t have enough time in my day to do the things I really want to be doing.”
- “I didn’t have time to call you this week.”
As my wife often reminds me, it is not that we didn’t have time to do something; we chose not to do something. We made a choice about time that took us away from accomplishing a task. Sometimes, these choices are the right choices. Other times they are not.
Moments that have been missed are not missing, they are gone! The best we can do is learn from the moment that has been lost, be fully present in the current moment, and prepare for the next moment to come. The great basketball coach of UCLA and mentor of men John Wooden constantly impressed upon his players the following point:
“Make each day your masterpiece.”
Coach Wooden further explained that “the past is gone and will never change, and the future is only impacted by what you do today.” In my work with athletes, I constantly emphasize this point. I have worked with very successful and talented amateur and professional athletes who struggle in a moment, because they are still obsessing over the previous moment – a moment that is dead and gone. They think about the previous play where they did not perform. In the next play, they are on the field or court physically, but they are not mentally and emotionally connected to the current moment. The challenge is to put missing moments behind us, so we can fully perform in the current moment.
How are you doing at being fully present during the moments of your life. Based on your purpose, priorities, and passions, are you making the right choices about the time that you have in a day, a week, a year, or your lifetime? What filter are you using to schedule your priorities? Does your calendar run you, or do you run your calendar?
(This blog entry has been adapted from my book Moments: Making Your Life Count For What Matters Most)
Comments