So think back a few weeks ago, before the coronavirus had grown into a global pandemic, when life was moving along full speed—you had deadlines to meet, homework to get done, and people to meet.  How often would you catch yourself saying something like, “I wish life would just slow down!” or “I’m just trying to make it to next week” or “These moments are just passing me by.”  

Well, here we go, many of us are finding ourselves with more time on our hands, less deadlines to meet, and more time for memories; however, now you may notice you’ve found something else to be discontent with.. “the kids are driving me crazy,” “I can’t get my brand of toilet paper,” or “shelter-in-place is not my idea of a holiday.”  For many of us, it may not matter what circumstance we find ourselves in, we may perpetually look to something else to satisfy us.  

A year from now, 5 years from now, 30 years from now what do you want to remember from this historical time in your life?  Do you want this to be an awful memory, a major inconvenience, or a time of growth and exploration?  The fastest way to miss an opportunity is to be focused on something else down the road. 

I want to encourage anyone struggling to find contentment, whether PreCovid-19 or present-day, to spend time reflecting on what gives your life purpose and meaning.  Next, assess how much your day-to-day actions and interactions with others reflect those things your value.  Then, create a few realistic goals for ways to increase valuable moments during this season.  

So, for example:

• I think time with my family is important and being a good parent is meaningful to me. But, when I sit and think about it, I spend the majority of my spare time distracted with my phone:  social media, work, and other relationships.  Then, I find I’m pretty frustrated with my kids or happy when they’re occupying themselves in another room.
• I want to increase the amount of time we spend together enjoying one another.  So during this season, I’m going to make a point to spend 30 minutes a day enjoying my kids.  We could sit outside for 30 minutes without devices, we could play a card game, or we could start reading a book together.

If you find it is difficult to find time to reflect on these things because you feel easily distracted or overwhelmed, you may benefit from strengthening your “Mindfulness Muscle.”  Stay tuned for more on this topic!