“The best gift we can have is living in the present moment and really enjoying it for what it is; and, not being in our heads and getting sidetracked.” Amy Smart.

Recently, my wife and I attended a funeral. The service was for the husband of one of my wife’s friends. Roland had been diagnosed with an illness a few days before Christmas last year. He died at the end of January aged just 65. His death was sudden and unexpected.

He was warm, kind and full of life and was popular and likeable. This was confirmed by the number of people who attended the service. The church was full with well over a hundred people in attendance. It was a very touching and moving service and it was clear that much thought and love had gone into planning it.

The phrase ‘live, laugh, love’ came into my mind as I reflected on the funeral. Roland certainly lived. He had many interests, lived life to the full and enjoyed many holidays with his wife and family. He laughed. He had a great sense of fun and was funny. He also loved.  It was clear that he adored Janette, his wife of 39 years, his three daughters, their partners and his grandchildren. They had lots of special family times with get togethers, breaks and barbeques.

Experiences like these are a reminder that life is fragile. None of us know what is around the corner. Therefore, it’s important that we try not to sweat the small stuff. We also need to avoid getting anxious, frustrated or angry about things that don’t really matter in the overall scheme of things. For instance, being irritated when we are kept waiting, when someone is late for an appointment, we miss a deadline or we encounter a traffic jam etc.

It’s vital that we treat every day as a gift, to learn to live and enjoy the present moment. Irrespective of what happened yesterday or may not happen tomorrow, the present moment is where we are – always!

I once saw a poster outside the British Library in London, which has stuck with me – it contained a quote by Eleanor Roosevelt and said “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift that’s why we call it the present.”

When we suffer loss or tragic events occur, we are reminded what truly matters in life – loved ones, family, good friendships, good health and focusing on the things we are passionate about and bring joy to us and others. It is so vitally important that we have balance in our lives.

This week, why not pause for a few moments and consider what you need to do to live your life more in the present moment and to live, laugh and love more.

To arrange a free no obligation consultation, please contact Stephen Pauley via the contact form or by e mail: Stephen@befirstclass.co.uk