Making the Best of Our Moments

We wonder why we didn’t make the most of the great moment had—a holiday or vacation time, the day off, a family reunion or such; we knew it then; it should’ve been enjoyed, but wasn’t as much as we had hoped.

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And we know it now, if now is one of those moments we can’t seem to grasp all the satisfaction out of.

It’s a tenuous thing, enjoying a pleasing moment to its fullest.

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The goal is simply resting within the available enjoyment, knowing full well that such moments end, but more come. What we want to do is get better at extracting the best out of the moment, as well as making the most of reflective opportunities; good times can be enjoyed, again and again, by the facilities of memory. And we should store them for playback at quieter or less satisfying times (an advantage of journaling).

Making The Best Of The Actual Moment

This is not an easy thing to do, given the fact we need to consciously live the moment as well as reflect in the moment to enhance it as much as possible.

That is two tasks done simultaneously: one active; one reflective.

Two faculties are required, residing with one another in unison, allowing the reception of life and introspection, too. The first faculty receives the moment gracefully, while the second moves the conscious moment in the mindfulness. Doing both together requires concentration and, therefore, energy. Being alert helps. Being hopeful helps. Being free of worry and fear helps, too. A relatively free mind is necessary.

When we understand that all we have is the actual moment we comprehend the importance of enjoying it. Mastering the above two faculties is, maybe, among the most important of fundamental life skills. All our feeling, thinking, and acting are enhanced from such mindfulness.

Preparing For Moments And Living Them

Another two faculties that go well for us, are the modes of now and to come.

That is, living good moments—as they are experienced as good—is not just about the conscious mindfulness described above, it’s also the preparedness to plan, to foresee, and to imagine our expectations in light of what we see.

Management of expectations is essential to joy.

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Enjoying the moment is what we’re here for; it is God’s will that we achieve this. That in mind, we invest all our powers of learning to master this art of making the best of moments. Motivation is the key, for inspiration is born for the moment. Joy is the result—a thing attainable almost everywhere, anytime.

© 2012 S. J. Wickham.