Did You Have Your Moment of Zen Today?

Organization isn't just about being organized. Oh mercy, it's soooo much more than that. Saying organization is just about having your spaces organized is like saying Ben Franklin was just about lightning. Oh sure, he discovered electricity and all, but the man was so much more than just that guy who flew a kite. He was an inventor, a fireman, a printer, a writer, a scientist, a statesman and yes, even an environmentalist. Ohhhh Al Gore's got nothin' on old Ben. In fact, I think Ben may have invented the Internet. But I digress. Organization has so many facets and one of the important ones is...

the ability to get your life to a point where you can take a few seconds to appreciate the small, simple things that go on every day right before your eyes. You know, the stuff that you don't even notice because you're just too dang "busy" or preoccupied with the past or the future.

In a pretty incredible coincidence, Leo Babauta from Zen Habits (a wonderful blog if you haven't been there) wrote a lovely post today on this very thing. How serendipitous that my topic idea for today was along the same lines as his. (Apparently, great minds really DO think alike, eh Leo?)

The whole reason I planned on blogging today about being in the moment was because of a sandwich. I had a lunch meeting today to meet some people about doing a speaking engagement in August. They graciously treated me to a delicious lunch and I brought half of my sandwich home to eat later. Flash forward to dinnertime: I was hungry and about to eat my leftover sandwich when I remembered I had put an avocado into the fridge last week. Mind you, this is the first avocado I've opened since The Avocado Incident of 2007.

I like to live on the edge, so with my treacherous Wusthof paring knife, I sliced around the seed, twisted the avocado open and to my absolute delight, it was perfectly ready for eating! Yahoo! You can see that for yourself in the photo. It was one of those times I just took a moment to appreciate what was in front of me. A gorgeous, perfectly ripe avocado. It's one of nature's most perfect foods and I was about to eat it!

Now some folks might think it's childish to get a few moments of such giddy happiness from an avocado. But I truly believe keeping a child-like enthusiasm is an essential part of being able to be in the moment. Being mindful, which is what Leo wrote about. And by being in the moment as much as possible, we can appreciate the myriad small pieces of wonder that pass us by often unnoticed every day.  What was your moment of Zen today?  And if you aren't in the habit of having a moment of Zen each day, of being in the moment as much as possible, how will you create that mindfulness in your life?

Comments

[Melinda]

Hmm... My moment would have to be giving the baby a raspberry on her belly, then her saying, "you silly, Mommy" followed by a wonderfully big hug. :)

Either that or the satisfaction of cleaning and organizing and getting rid of clutter throughout my entire kitchen today. That was a good moment.

Hugs,
Melinda

[John Trosko]

Monica,

My avacado tree is growing so big these days. You've seen it! It dropped one of those suckers into the pool (Plunge!!!) and I thought a piece of skylab fell from the sky!

My moment of Zen is thinking I live in such a lovely place, even though I could be seriously hurt falling fruit!

- John

[Jacki Hollywood Brown]

Hey Monica,
Yesterday I was showing my mother-in-law how to make gimbap (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gimbap)
The avocado that we used to make the gimbap was perfectly ready to eat! (and yes when I cut it open I was thinking of you)
We while eating our fresh gimbap we enjoyed a little zen moment!
Cheers!

[Monica Ricci]

Melinda, when a belly raspberry and decluttering are in competition for the best momen of Zen, the belly wins for me! :)

John, I wish you'd box up one of those suckers and mail it to me! They are MASSIVE! And you're right, don't sit under that tree! Zoinks.

Jacki, I'll be checking out what gimbap is as soon as I post this comment! And please everyone be careful opening those avocados. The seeds are SO slick!

~Monica

[gayle]

Oh, Monica, how could I not have stumbled onto your blog before? You are right up my alley. I do have Zen Habits in my feed, and save my faves. You might also check out Adam Kayce at monkatwork.com.

One of my favorite Zen moments (fortunately it can happen more than once) is when you step outside and the sky is that perfect shade of blue against the leaves in that perfect shade of spring green. Add some fresh-cut-lawn smell and a few bird chirps... AAAAHHHHH!!!! Better than IMAX!!!

Have a blissful day.... g

[Jon King]

Wow am I behind on blogging. Ironically this weekend we replaces some shrubs which became a Zen thing for me. I felt so right to dig and sort roots... I ended up pulling the whole family in on it, a little dirt under the nails is good for the soul and a good interruption for today's little Zip-lock world.

[Monica Ricci]

Jon, good for you. I find doing that kind of work, more work than Zen, but to each his own! I can, however, find Zen in smaller gardening jobs and have done so in the past myself.
Thanks for your comment!
~Monica