Blog by Tracy Stock, CSP
Do you ever arrive at a location and wonder how you got there? I realize you know you drove there; however, you don’t actually remember yourself physically driving your vehicle from point A to point B. This may happen because the driving route is so habitual or it may occur because you frequently operate in a half-awake zone—as if on autopilot. Sadly, when you trudge through life without being present or choosing to live in the moment, you miss out on everyday amazing experiences.
But when someone says, “This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” we stop, become present, and pay attention to that moment. Why? Because the four undeniably powerful words of “once-in-a-lifetime” is an idiom that relates to something that is very rare; an opportunity that comes along only once in a lifetime. After all, this is how creating a bucket list became so important—to make time for those once-in-a-lifetime experiences that you definitely want to see/do before you kick the bucket (AKA die).
But is there a way to learn how to be more present, live in the moment and experience the feeling—or leverage the advantages—of once-in-a-lifetime experiences in everyday, common situations? There definitely is!
Smartphones, for example, are huge daily distractions. They continuously tempt us to look away and divert our attention from the person in front of us. But if you resist that temptation and put your phone away when others speak to you, you send a powerful message: that you value what they have to say and you want to give them your full attention. It also provides you the opportunity to learn something from that interaction. This opportunity—even if it is one you’ve seen before, the result of it will likely differ, which then becomes essentially a once-in-a-lifetime experience. So the lesson here is that every moment you encounter is unique and has value. And when you recognize that, you can take time to reflect on each key experience as you have it, and afterwards, too. Allow yourself to become absorbed in the moment and then take time to reflect on what it meant to you. Doing so helps to etch the experience in your mind, allowing you to draw on it in the future, reflect, and learn from past events.
A few examples include: Hearing a loved one crack up over a side-splitting video on YouTube; or me tripping over a power cord after presenting to a group and losing all power to the room—oops!; or walking in the kitchen to find my dog feverishly devouring a tiered cupcake tower I was planning to surprise a friend with for her birthday; or in the midst of our family eating Thanksgiving dinner a young boy (who will remain nameless) says, “Today I found Riley (his dog) licking this turkey on the floor—but don’t worry, I picked it up and put it back on the plate to finish thawing out.”
Clearly, not all experiences are positive. This is true. But even if you view an experience as negative, the memory can still prove valuable. It can help you to remember people, places, and situations you want to avoid, or strategies and techniques to help you persevere through tough experiences.
So, today, tomorrow, and in the days to come, I encourage you to remember those four powerful words. If you do, you’ll move toward appreciating each moment more fully, whether good or bad, for what it is—an opportunity to be present. A unique moment in time, rarely repeated. And most of all, an opportunity to learn. Allow yourself to experience more precious moments every day Choose to notice and appreciate them for what they are: Once-in-a-lifetime.
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