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Mental Snapshots
I had planned a vacation with a friend. She was coming to
visit and it was going to be marvelous. I really needed a break
and spent two months thinking about it. We were going to have
our toes painted and shoulders massaged someplace fabulous. We
were going to sit on lawn chairs and soak up the sun by the
pool. We were going to do mud masks and chat into the wee hours
of the night.
Instead, work projects came up and she spent hours in front
of the computer. Family demands pressed her from all sides. I
dashed to a friend's side as a crisis emerged. It was a
disappointing week. I sat by the pool alone. We had hardly any
time together. My shoulders still have knots.
We've all had weeks like that…when the outcome of our plans
falls short of the way we envisioned.
When I was complaining to my friend about our miserable "faux
vacation", she said, "You know what I do? I take snapshots in my
mind." She went on to say how she captures "moments in time" in
her mind's eye. Instead of chalking up the whole day as a loss
she snaps a moment of that day that held a special memory.
She shared a memorable moment that we had with our husbands
when they were staying with us. She said with a smile, "I'll
never forget that moment, and I took a snapshot." Then she went
on to list three or four other "snapshots" she took during our
time together. I had never thought about it that way.
I realized instantly the power of this metaphor. Instead of
bemoaning all that is not right with the situation, she stays on
the sweet side of life with her mental Polaroid.
What memories and moments have you charged past without
pausing for a snapshot? We don't savor the present when we
focus on the negative. I believe our propensity towards this
depends upon what kind of person we are…
In life I've found that there are three kinds of people:
people who live in the future, people who live in the past, and
people who live in the present.
I live in the future. I have an internal fire burning that
drives me onward towards what is possible. I want to seize life
to its fullest and I always believe more and higher and better
is possible. This is an asset but can also become a liability.
It is easy for me to get defeated with the present…if it isn't
living up to expectations for what was "fully possible," I am
disappointed. Perhaps this is why I love the mental snapshot
concept; it allows me to be who I was made to be, but to smell
the roses along the path.
My guess is that if you live in the past, it's easy to get
stuck there. It's easy to dwell and linger rather than moving
toward your life as it is NOW or as it could be in the future.
On the other hand, those who live in the past are endowed with
an understanding of history and context.
My husband lives in the present. It is a great blessing. He
lives in the moment and appreciates the day for what it is,
rather than what it is not. We fill in the gaps for one another.
He teaches me how to enjoy the day instead of blowing past it. I
show him all that is possible and give him insight into how what
we do now affects the future.
Do you live in the future, past, or present? Knowing,
challenging, and stretching yourself is part of ordering your
world. To experience lasting change in your life you first have
to gain a deeper understanding of yourself.
No matter what "time zone" you live in, maximize the way you
are wired, take the time to be thankful, and don't forget to
take mental snapshots of your amazing journey.
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