I was blessed to get away for a vacation recently. About 3 days in, I began to recognize some frustration creeping up inside.  I first noticed it when my husband and I would be out walking - it didn't matter where... the pool, the lookout spot on our hike, and even on the way to the car. He was walking at a much slower, relaxed pace. I kept stopping, waiting for him to catch up and looking at him - almost indignantly - like "what are you doing?" 

Why? What is up with this? I paused... I realized that I was solely focused on getting to the next thing! My mind was on auto-pilot with a task focus... and repeatedly targeting "what's next"?

Vacation was my time to reset, to take a much needed break. I needed to disrupt this pattern. Then a new idea emerged - what if I used this as an opportunity to practice being present in the journey instead of fixating on the destination?

I started taking a daily picture of one small detail I would have otherwise missed - a pair of goggles someone lost and were now dangling on a sign to be reclaimed, a brightly colored bird I have never seen, the rattlesnake warning next to the waterfall I was busy taking pictures of, a beautiful sunset out the plane window... and so on. Each photo became a receipt - that presence is a practice and when we are distracted or too task focused, we miss everyday glimmers of beauty, connection and joy. Looking back now, those snapshots secured spontaneous moments I got to cherish while on vacation and it became a fun thing for my husband and I to talk about. 

What might you notice if you slowed down today, even for a moment?

Having a hard time with being present?

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