If you’ve read my blog for any amount of time, you know I’m a huge Disney fan. I recently went on my annual trip and had an opportunity to attend a special evening event. This meant fewer waiting lines so I was able to see a whole lot more in a shorter time period. 

At first, it was really cool. But then I had this realization: I am missing A LOT!

It started with one of the boat rides. Usually, when you wait in line for the ride, there are photos and educational material explaining what you will see on the boat ride to help educate and prepare you for the trip. With our quick walk up to the boats, we missed all those descriptions, which were a significant part of the experience.

Then we went to another ride—quite frankly, my favorite one—Avatar: Flight of Passage. Once again, we walked right up to the entrance area. Normally, there’s time to read the writing on the cave walls, look at the laboratory, and really take in the feeling of going to Pandora. The ride itself is absolutely stunning.  You truly feel like you are flying around on a Banshee. And the colors—WOW! They take my breath away. But I’ll admit that missing some of the “before” experience took away some of the complete immersion for me.

Then it hit me. This is what’s been happening in my life lately. I am moving so fast from thing to thing that I am missing the full-on life experience. I am fully present in the actual moment, but embracing and enjoying the preparation, planning, meeting, and connection with others has simply been a means to an end. It makes activities less enjoyable and I think I’ve been missing out on a lot.

I know we’ve heard it before. It’s not about the destination. It’s about the journey. I don’t know about you, but I sometimes get so caught up in the destination and deadlines that the day-to-day enjoyment has gotten lost. 

I’m inviting us back to the gifts of embracing the day-to-day experiences. Here are three gifts I’d love to share with you:

1. Connection. When we are fully present, we connect with ourselves and others more authentically and deeply. This reaps huge emotional and spiritual benefits.
2. Clarity of Purpose. When you are fully present and embracing each moment, you connect your purpose to that moment. You are 100% engaged with what you need to do right now, right here. 
3. Focused Attention. When you are embracing each moment, that moment has your attention. All of it. This provides more context and depth to the experience. Talk about a rich and fulfilling life!

Friends, I want you to experience all that life has to offer you and I want to invite you to FULLY experience this and embrace the gifts from these experiences. I’d love to hear about what you’ve noticed in your own life.