Being in the Moment

"PAJAMAS"
The power of being in the moment

What do you want to do today?” I asked my daughter, and without a moment’s hesitation, she replied, “ go for a street car ride!”

It is important to note that we live in suburbia, and my 7 year old daughter had never been on a street car, so the prospect of knocking this off her “life’s to-do list” created a great deal of excitement, so as she waited for my answer, she bounced and jumped in anticipation, "Ok, let do it" I said.

With that answer, she began to vibrate across the floor and immediately headed to her room, announcing that she was changing her pants, as the ones she was wearing were no longer comfortable. At that moment, I had visions of this taking an extended period of time as she deliberated between different pairs of pants; however, I was wrong, dead wrong. She exited her room within moments, and to my surprise, she was wearing her pajamas! I am an open minded dad, however, heading downtown, mid afternoon, in early March, I wondered if this choice of pants were in her and my best interests! That being said, and in my continued effort to support my daughters decision making abilities, I asked if she was ready to leave, and without uttering a word, she was at the door, with coat, boots, hat, pajamas and the largest smile a 7 year old could muster up!

We left, and although I decided not to share my views of PAJAMAS, a neighbor we saw on the way to the car did; “you're wearing P.J.’s downtown?” and before I could defend her clothing choice, she quickly piped up, smiled and said, “yes, they are the most comfortable ones I have and we are going to ride a streetcar!”

As things turned out, we took the train into the downtown core, walked around the city, had dinner, and went for our street car ride, (which I recorded, and have watched several times since) and as you can imagine, the day was a tremendous success, and throughout the day, I was in awe of my daughters commitment to comfort and being in the moment. There she sat overflowing with joy, on this bus that was attached to an overhead wire, running on rails below, with a driver who didn’t need to steer, and best of all, riding in absolute comfort; and as I looked at her, I wish I had have worn my P.J.’s too!

As I reflect on the day, I am most grateful for the gift my daughter imparted on me; “Being in the moment”

You see, to her, this life goal of riding a streetcar had prerequisites; have fun, soak it all up, and most importantly, be comfortable, because she knew “my first streetcar ride only happens once!”

Being in the moment and soaking up all life has to offer, requires attention, awareness, and as my daughter taught me, preparation.

What do you need to do to be best prepared for your greatest life?

Pajamas anyone?

DREAM IT...PLAN IT...EXECUTE IT!