~ small inspiration ~
Have you noticed how you sometimes try to rush your life? For example, I've spent the weekend wishing for Monday evening so I no longer have to worry about moving another box or a bed.
I have a tendency to want to rush through days when I'm determined to get to the next chapter of my life. I've become more aware of this impatience and have consciously tried to slow myself down, to appreciate today in all its chaotic glory. I have learned that this moment, this very minute, is one I will never get back. The key is to live it, love it, and learn from it.
Last September I was fortunate to attend the local YWCA's LeaderLuncheon, a wonderful event that celebrates influential Salt Lake women. The keynote speaker was Susan L. Taylor, editor-in-chief emeritus of Essence magazine and founder of the Essence Cares mentoring movement. During her time at Essence magazine, Ms. Taylor wrote In the Spirit, an inspirational monthly column. After her heartwarming speech, I ran to the lobby to buy All About Love, a collection of those columns. I began reading it the minute I got home. I still cherish that book.
The other day I was flipping through the pages when I found a piece that discusses how we should be "like water, not stone, flexible and limber in ... living and giving." I've often thought about these words this weekend. They remind me that the beauty of living is in enjoying today. Like water, we must be flexible and remember that small, everyday moments (be they boring, slow, or painful) are forever shaping us.