Special Moments in Our Lives
Pay attention to special moments in your life and appreciate what they mean to you and at times to others.
By Leland E Pulley
What is a special moment? It is a time when something you do, or experience has a significant impact on your life. It could be a small, somewhat insignificant thing, but it does have an impact on you. It doesn't have to be a big event or something of major importance in order to affect you and your life.
Unfortunately, we live busy lives in this modern world, and it is easy to miss special moments in our lives. We get so wrapped up or involved in our routines, responsibilities, activities, and relationships that our time, energy, and money is consumed. In the meantime, the days, weeks, months and even years go by with us hardly noticing how fast we are walking through life.
Unless you take the time to stop the clock and consider what you're doing and why, you will probably wake up years later and wonder what has been going on in my life? There should have been lots of special moments, but you hardly noticed them. Yes, many of them actually occurred, but at the time you did not realize and appreciate and feel grateful for them. Why?
Let me give a few examples of special moments in my life.
In grade school I walked down to the City Park and signed up for beginners swimming lessons. I did not know how to swim and felt afraid of being in deep water. I learned how to float and tread water and swim a short distance. The next summer I signed up for intermediate lessons. Now I was learning to do actual swimming, as well as easy strokes like the side stroke. The third summer I signed up for swimmers. Now I was learning to swim longer distances and with better form to my actual swimming stroke. I learned to swim on my back, and more types of strokes were mastered. Even though I was still in grade school, I was not afraid of any deep-water situation. I had gained confidence in this critical area. This was a significant achievement and a special moment in my life.
In middle school I joined Boy Scouts of America at age 12. Two years later at the beginning of the ninth grade I had earned the Eagle Scout award. My parents attended the awards ceremony with me. Once again, I made a decision to get involved, meet the requirements, and achieve the objective. This was another special moment.
In high school I played on the tennis team and was a member of the debate team. I got good grades and graduated in the top ten of my class. I was even more confident now that my attitudes and methods were working for me. Another special moment occurred and was appreciated. It was now time to leave home and go away to college.
During the college years I studied consistently to earn my engineering degree. I worked in all types of jobs during the summer to pay for most of my educational expenses. The special moment came upon graduation when I had 6 good job offers. I could now be on my own financially, get a new car, and move to another area of the country if necessary. I felt a sense of freedom and relief after so many years in school and being dependent on my parents for money.
Several months later I was working professionally in a different city than where I went to college. One night I attended a young single adult dance activity. I looked across the dance hall and saw this attractive blue eyed blonde woman. I asked her to dance and during a couple slow dances when we were close to one another, I said to myself “I think I just found my wife”. What a special moment! I asked her out and within a few weeks we were engaged. Later she told me that after 5 weeks she was ready to marry me. The reason for this was obvious. I'm a very steady, consistent, dependable man who is honest in what I say and do. All my future wife had to do was decide if she could live with me, because this is who I was going to be in retirement. We did get married and have been together ever since.
As a married couple we've had many special moments over the years. As parents of our children, more special moments occurred. The activities we chose to be involved in during adulthood provided even more special moments.
Special moments can come to you in different ways than to me. What is important is their effect on you should be the same. My special moments mean something to me, and your moments should mean something to you. This is the beauty of life. We can all have special moments and treasure them for what they're worth.
Pay attention to your lifestyle and ways of living. Can you pause periodically and recognize simple things that can be special moments for you? If so, you are doing yourself a great favor. As the years go by, these moments will add up and sustain your enthusiasm and efforts in all types of activities, endeavors, and relationships.
Special moments provide a psychological uplift that helps you to feel better about yourself. They contribute to confidence and happiness. When you experience this, you radiate a better self to others.
I challenge you to be sensitive and mentally awake to recognize special momenta as they occur. Also, strive to create situations which will provide special moments for you and your loved ones.
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