Mindful Monday: Zoom Out

The calendar now says November, and if we weren't before, we are absolutely in the thick of the end of year/holiday season craziness. 

Often, when we're in the middle of something, ie: something big or something stressful, it feels all consuming. However, if there is anything I can confidently say, it is that life is always changing! The moments in our life are fleeting. Our kids are little for such a short time, hard times don't in fact last forever, and unfortunately, neither do the good times. 

Here is a concise and well said post from The New Happy. 

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Most of the time, we go through our lives with a zoomed-in lens, one that focuses our attention on the present moment. Our life shrinks down to this year, this month, this season.

That's what makes good times so good and hard times so hard. They can be all-encompassing.

Learning how to zoom out, to put this moment into a greater perspective, is an essential skill. It helps you to increase your joy and to increase your resilience.

In good times, remember: this will change. So savor it.

In hard times, remember: this will change. So hold on.

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For those of you with children, when you are in the middle of a phase whether it be diaper changing, tantrums, or eye-rolls, it seems like those days will never end. And then, one day you wake up and find yourself on the other side. I can vividly recall thinking we would be paying daycare bills forever. And now, somehow I have two children of my own in elementary school.  On average, children will lose 20 baby teeth - that's only 20 visits from the tooth fairy, they will only have 13 first days of school (K-12), they will only wake up to see what Santa has brought them approx 8-10 times before they stop believing, you will likely have them home for only 18 summers. I don't bring any of this to your attention to upset you. However, it's easy to get caught up in the day-to-day things. It's easy to live "zoomed-in" on life. 

When we take the time to zoom out and gain some perspective, it's eye opening how fast time flies and how fleeting these moments can be. Whether times are good for you right now or you find yourself in the middle of a struggle, know that change is coming. Hang in there until it gets better, and when it does, be grateful for the good times.