“Remember that today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.” – Dale Carnegie
Sunday was my 58th birthday. I know some people don’t want to get old. I am not one of those people. I am okay to grow old. My wrinkles on my face show wisdom. Some of my deepest wrinkles are laugh lines and the wrinkles on my forehead show lines that may reflect sadder times. That’s okay with me, too.
What I do wish is that time would slow down. The years just fly by. Research has shown that as we age our brains start processing information differently. Cindy Lustig, a professor of psychology at the University of Michigan, says that perception of time is influenced by memory and how much we have experienced. For example: to an 8-year-old, a week is a big portion of their life, but to the 58-year-old, a week is a much smaller portion, which makes us feel like the week went by quickly.
I started looking up ways to make time feel like it is going slower: be more in the present, stop worrying about what is coming next, spend more time with the people that you love. I can also start a new task or hobby that lets me lose track of time, create new memories exploring unfamiliar places, and avoid multitasking, which can make your time feel like it is speeding by.
If I am being honest, I have a hard time staying in a moment and enjoying what is going on around me. I can sometimes feel like I am watching a movie of my life instead of being the lead actor. Throwing a party is a great example of this. I am big into entertaining but I can often get distracted or caught up in the process. Believe me when I say, I am a worrier for the entire evening.
I think this year I need to not be so concerned about what the next day will bring. Even better, maybe I should practice just staying in a moment and enjoy myself at my own parties. I love the quote by Bill Watterson, “We’re so busy watching out for what’s just ahead of us that we don’t take time to enjoy where we are.”
So, these next 365 days around the sun I am going to try to sit in the present and not worry about what is ahead. Do I think I will master this and say that every day was truly experienced? Umm…probably not! But, if I can just experience half of them being fully present, then how much fuller my life will be and maybe, just maybe, time won’t pass me by so quickly.
I’m also working on being in the moment and worrying less this year. (Boy, did I pick the wrong year, with retirement and an international move coming up. Or maybe it’s the perfect year?). Glad to be on the journey with you!
You do have a lot going on Kristen! If you can try to stay in the moment than I certainly can too! The move will be crazy but once you are settled in you can take a breath.:) Love ya.