The Next Few Moments…

I like questions that inspire thought.

A Facebook friend just recently posted, “Anybody else know what they’re really doing? Asking for a friend…”.

The answer that danced to the tip of my tongue with little thought might surprise even the people that know me pretty well. The answer: “Yes…and no”. The reasons for this answer have been hard-learned…earned really…through experience.

Life can be best understood as a series of moments that are woven together into a tapestry that only makes sense in retrospect. Oddly enough, guiding one’s life is not unlike building a product; while you may have a preconceived notion of where you want to go, outside influences, changes in circumstance and even altered viewpoints along the way all work to define where you actually end up. Becoming singularly focused on where you think you’re going in any one moment can actually close off opportunities to embrace a directional change in the next. This sometimes comes with a steep learning curve, and very often creates panic in feeling you don’t really know what you’re doing. The good news is, that is very seldom true. In retrospect, it is usually the lack of struggle that is the hallmark of danger, not feeling challenged or uncertain. But in order to get to the retrospective, you have to get through the moment you’re in now.

We all need some semblance of focus on where we want to go…or who we aspire to be. Some aspects of those things may never change, as they become part of who we are as individuals…part of our moral fiber. After all, it is this focus that is necessary to create positive inertia (to get and keep us moving despite obstacles we may encounter). That being said, it is, in my experience, more important to stay in the present moment; enjoying what ‘now’ has to teach, and to remain open to the next series of moments and what they might inspire in or open up to us.

So, yes, I know what I’m doing. I’m living the best life I can using incomplete information…just like everyone else. And no, I have no idea what I’m doing, as the surprises awaiting me in the next several moments are still full of mystery and wonder. I may not always know what’s coming next, but honestly, I cannot wait to find out.

I hope as the clock winds down on 2014, you have opportunity to reflect positively on what your life’s moments have allowed you to learn, teach, experience, touch, and love thus far. It is my sincere hope that we can all enter 2015 with a sense of optimism around all that the next few moments have to offer.