Are you alive?

A week ago, I was busy trying to get everything done that I usually have to manage in an evening. With my mind on tasks at hand and distracted by my email, I was in another world. My daughter snapped me out of my trance with a, “mommy, are you alive?!?” She had been trying to talk to me about her day. She grew frustrated with me, and her keen exclamation made my heart sink immediately.

Yes, I’m alive. I can be zoned-out when I’m distracted, so I can understand why she’d ask that question. When I put myself in my daughter’s shoes, I realize how it might seem like my phone is more important than her. I also know that moments with her at this age are precious and too few in my life to take for granted. I can’t get this time back, this very moment of my daughter wanting to share the details of her day.

What am I doing? Better yet, why do I keep doing this? The whole reason why I started this project was because I needed to wake up and “be alive”. I needed to refocus for myself, for my family, for my career, for my life.

Unfortunately, it is far too easy to let so many external distractions get in the way of incredible everyday moments.

When you think about the things that make you feel “alive”, what are they? What fires you up? Is it looking at Facebook? Instagram? Responding to emails or texts? I’m going to bet on none of these. I bet what fires you up are things like the crinkle of a little nose when your child smiles, a dinner date with your love, a hug when you really needed it, a deep conversation with an old friend or even a moment of success in your career. I bet those are the kind of things that make you feel alive.

So, I’m here to tell you that if you want to feel more alive than you ever have in your life, be present. This simple, yet profound focus can enhance your life beyond measure. Stop letting your life slip through your fingers in urgency, distraction, and wastefulness. Live your life being present with the things that matter most.

Then, and only then, will you truly be living.