In the extraordinary Broadway musical Hamilton and the song Who Lives Who Dies,
There is the phrase,
What would you do if you had more time?
I often reflect on this,
Which always initiates a sense of excitement and curiosity as I approach a new day.
It doesn't mean what I would do if I could push more into my day,
A perspective perhaps reasoned in this song,
For me it simply begs the question,
Can I discard in order to be more present?
To appreciate each moment more and more,
To worry less and less,
How do I stop time from slipping away so quickly?
As I write this I am sitting high on a cliff on a hot sunny day,
On a tropically infused island,
Overlooking a calm sea as the waves roll into a boat-studded shore,
Me shaded by a giant frangipani tree,
Its fragrance softly wafting away and wafting my way,
Its white and yellow scented flowers dropping intermittently to the earth,
A gentle breeze is flurrying all the leaves of the trees in the dense jungle surround.
The sounds I can hear are those of the sea crashing onto the rocks,
Gentle laughter in the distance,
The occasional rev of a motor boat in the distance,
Periodic birdsong and the occasional crowing of the roosters.
I just sit and watch and listen and breathe.
Below my balcony though I see two people,
One is plugged into an iPad and earphones and rocking away,
And the other is plugged into an iPhone with her back to the sea.
A shame really,
The seconds that are missed.
It could be argued that these people are present too,
But we can all tap into the digital world anywhere and at any time.
How often do we get the chance just to sit,
Inhale nature's healing breath and feel its calming essence?
Do you ever ask yourself,
What would I do if I had more time?
Would I plug in or opt out?
None of us have much time on this planet,
So we need to observe the precious moments we have one by one,
Breath by breath,
And in a joyful manner.
I once read the story of Bronnie Ware,
A palliative nurse who counselled the dying in their last weeks.
As a result of these conversations she had with her patients,
She revealed the most common regrets we have at the end of our lives.
I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself,
Not the life others expected of me.
I wish I didn't work so hard.
I wish I had lived more simply.
I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
I wish I had let myself be happier.
And so how do we stretch the time that we have now,
So that these thoughts do not become our epitaph?
Slow down,
Still your mind,
Breathe with ease,
Remain present.
Do this with me now.
I shall speak every minute or so to bring you back to stillness in case you've lost your way,
For you to once again become mindfully aware of each moment.
Gently breathing in and out.
Gently breathing in and out,
Relish in a silence.
Gently breathing in and out,
Be still.
Gently breathing in and out,
Observe.
Gently breathing in and out.
Gently breathing in and out.
Gently breathing in and out,
Stretch time.
Gently breathing in and out.
Gently breathing in and out,
Relish in a silence.
Gently breathing in and out,
Be still.
Gently breathing in and out,
Observe.
Gently breathing in and out.
Gently breathing in and out.
Gently breathing in and out,
Stretch time.
Authenticity,
Ease,
Inner silence,
Simplicity,
Courage,
Friendship,
Presence and the choice to live by them.
What would you do if you had more time?
I send you love and peace,
This is Anne-Marie.
Www.
Mooji.
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