I have the Atrium to myself on this sunny, blue skies Saturday. So I don’t want to spend too much time reliving a work day. Especially because the point of the post is to live in the present moment.
I was beaten down by the relentless monotony of work come Friday morning. Before JP, I had to drive to the Novato office to pick up a client’s check because a colleague had asked me to.
Getting to drive to the office first rather than straight to JP was a pleasant thought, but not overwhelming or anything.
When I was stopped at a red light next to the Novato Whole Foods, I said to myself:
“Experience this moment mindfully.”
With the morning sunlight on my face in luei of a single thought, I experienced being there without my thoughts about being there, I existed without experiencing my judgements (good or bad) about the Whole Foods, street, city, or day. I simply was. I just “existed,” soaking up sunlight.
When I left the office, I was about to turn onto Diablo, but chose to drive straight past Jason’s. I was very present. Just soaking up morning sunlight. I was experiencing the sunlight and the morning, without comparing it to anything else.
I careened down Sunset Parkway and saw all the SJMS students in either blue or yellow, bringing back the warmest hint of memories from a lifetime ago.
No thoughts about what work may be like, what I may have to do, what bad things could happen.
Down Ignacio, it was nice to think (yes, I had a thought) that I’m getting paid for this.
At the stop sign intersection, I glanced into Pacheco Plaza and remembered my dad and I at that coffee shop before preschool 24 years ago.
I carried the peace and presence into the parking garage.