At This Moment

A cloud gracefully glides across the blue sky…A bird chirps a lovely hymn…The grass sways with the wind…The rain pelts the roof like hands to a drum…At this moment, life is moving!  Your son/daughter is screaming your name because they want a bit of attention from you...Your partner rubs your back gently trying to show affection…A family member says “I love you” at the end of a conversation...God is whispering to you through that still small voice...Yes, all of this is happening at this VERY moment!  And guess what!? You didn’t even notice.  *tsk tsk*

But in all honesty, it makes no sense that you’re not enjoying this moment.  Why? Well, we aren’t promised tomorrow – who promised you tomorrow!?  You ask yourself, how can this be?  Of course I pay attention to X, Y, and Z.  But you don’t and the end result is that life is passing you by! 

You’re too busy, too moody, too angry, too stressed, too consumed in your thoughts and activities, too confused by the actions of others, and/or just too oblivious to it all -- to see all of these things right in front of your very own eyes. You’re living for yesterday or you’re living for tomorrow but you’re certainly NOT living for today. You are not living in the moment, this moment. You’re not taking advantage of what this moment has to offer.  Are you living up to your own abilities and fulfilling your dreams in this moment? Are you being truthful to yourself and what your purpose is in this life?

Simply put, today is all you have and all you have is THIS VERY MOMENT!  Enjoy it.  Cherish it.  Relish in it.  Because this very well could be your LAST moment…Take a moment to check out this video and remember to "Life, Laugh, Love" each day!

LOL, LMBO, HA HA HA, ROTFLMBO...

 Today, I went out with friends for lunch.  It was pretty impromptu; nothing planned out. It wasn't even a group of people that I'd normally get together -- an old friend, a "new-er" friend and the "new-er" friend's boyfriend.  But let me tell you, it was one of the best lunch group outings that I've been to in a looooong time!! Why you ask?!  Well, I'll tell you...LOL.  Because the laughter NEVER stopped!  We laughed about everything....And when I say everything, I do mean everything!  From joking with the waitress, to stories amongst ourselves, cracking jokes on each other, etc, etc. It just went on and on and on...LOL.

Now, I'm the type of person who loves to joke around a lot and have a good laugh whenever possible, and I probably use "LOL" and "LMBO" way too much when typing (notice above, twice already!), and I generally just love to enjoy myself in whatever setting I'm in.  But when you're with a group of friends that you generally care about and you are able to share good laughs, it just puts you in the best mood! 

Of course, there are also scientific reasons for why laughter on a regular basis is beneficial...Laughter helps release enzymes and hormones that are helpful for the normal functioning of various organs, as well as enhances the body to release natural antihistamines. It also activates T-cells, a natural antibiotic produced in the body, and helps boost the immune system and fight infections. Laughter also reduces the levels of certain hormones, which helps relieve stress, depression, anxiety, grief, anger and irritation. It also decreases pain by releasing endorphins, and improves our attentiveness, pulse and heart rate. Laughing has also proven beneficial for the people suffering from hypertension because it helps lower the blood pressure to normal.  Laughter is also a good overall workout for respiratory, abdominal, leg, back and facial muscles; and it tones intestinal functioning, massages abdominal organs and strengthens abdominal muscles. And for those trying to slim down, laughter also helps burn calories and is beneficial for weight loss!!  Now if that isn't a reason to laugh, I don't know what is...LOL. Laughter also offers psychological health benefits such as boosts to your self-confidence and mental strength to cope with conflicts and challenges in life. It also helps people end anxiety and depression. Socially, laughing enhances our ability to connect with others and makes us more energized and increases our interest in daily activities. 

But of course you probably know a few people who just can't let loose; they don't know what it feels like to just enjoy life and laugh over something, anything, nothing...Honestly, I feel sorry for them and their insides...Can you imagine?!  Ugh! LOL.  Anyhow, so maybe that was way more than you needed to know about the benefits of laughter (LOL) but I really just wanted to stress how important it is in your daily life to LAUGH! 

  

So smile, enjoy your time with friends and family, laugh at those corny jokes, laugh at yourself, and learn how to not take things so seriously....Life is too short and laughter feeds the soul!  Hopefully your soul isn't growling for laughter like an empty stomach does for food...LOL. Corny joke? Maybe... :-)

Quote of the day: "The most wasted of all days is one without laughter" ~ E.E. Cummings