The Value of the Here and Now

It was the last day of our holiday and we were all set to catch our flight back home. We were in good time for an unrushed airport experience (the opposite of which I absolutely detest), including time for tax refunds (IYKYK😉). But then last minute, JuanHundo suggests that we try squeeze in a visit to a nearby aquarium that we had previously ran out of time to check out (while accumulating said tax refunds😉). If you know JuanHundo (or watched any of my videos where my home office background is showing) you will know that his love for fish runs deep, so this was not a fight I could win.

Now, if there’s one thing about me is that my time zone is always set to GMT +48, at a minimum. I am constantly planning, always thinking of the next step, looking at the bigger picture, guesstimating where things are headed, how plans should align and what I should be doing now to optimize for the future. This definitely comes in very handy for a number of scenarios, like managing travel itineraries – specifically those that DO NOT include a last minute trip to an aquarium, on the way to the airport.

Despite that, attempting to dissuade JuanHundo was not a mountain I was willing to climb, and so we “agreed” to give it a shot - adjust our timings by an hour and that way squeeze in a quick detour. I was uneasy. I know that nothing that should take an hour ever takes an hour, especially not on the day that you have a flight to catch.

Let’s just say that I would make a very poor travel guide. For the entire walk through the aquarium, I maintained a 2-pace distance ahead of JuanHundo, non-verbally signalling him to keep it moving. My “Oooh’s” and “Aaah’s” to the aquatic tidbits he kept sharing with me along the way were quickly punctuated with “Ok let’s go.” He was unfazed. He explored everything. We skipped nothing. Not the frog exhibition and certainly not the magnified anemones demo.

I kept up my “keep it moving” antics. That is, until we turned a corner, and the view opened up to this...…

“We could catch a dolphin ride home for all I cared.”

I gasped (mouth stayed open) and stopped dead in my tracks. I approached the vi slowly, speed limit instinctively enforced. The beauty, the majesty, the peace… In that moment, nothing else mattered. We could catch a dolphin ride home for all I cared. This moment demanded my presence, and I wanted it to last forever (you can catch a glimpse of this moment here). JuanHundo took over the “keep it moving” antics from there on, my operating system had been compromised.

As I reminisce about that detour we took and the ethereal moment it gifted me, I am reminded about the value of focusing on the present moment. For anyone who shares the “GMT +48” trait with me, you know that it gets very scary when you hear things like “let go and just be in the moment”. I mean who does that? While we’re in the moment, what will people eat for dinner? And what will we do if/when the economy crashes? Prepare! Prepare! Prepare! It feels like a loss of control, this disconnecting with the future.

“The point is not to allow the future to be the only realm you exist in”

Now of course its prudent to make good plans that can help you either optimize opportunities or mitigate risks. The point is not to allow the future to be the only realm you exist in. The risk of being too focused on the next thing, is losing sight of all that the here and now has to offer. Consider this,

• A moment appreciating the beauty of nature can calm and inspire you

• Being fully present in a conversation can enrich you

• Taking some time to acknowledging a win, big or small, can boost your confidence

• Assessing the skills and strengths you already have can reawaken you to your potential

• Taking time to think about the lessons being learnt from an ongoing challenge can shift your mindset positively and help you handle a similar challenge better

So before you start on your next plan or goal, first take some time to acknowledge and appreciate your present moment or situation.

Oh and we made it for our flight, with literally zero time to spare.

Anyone know how to process tax refunds post-travel??

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