Just...Breath...

Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.
~Oprah Winfrey

Disclaimer: I never thought I'd see the day that I quote Oprah, but I really do like this quote. However, I'm sure my mother will thoroughly enjoy this as she watches Oprah quite often.

Anyways...

This week has...literally...flown by. There has been SO much to do, with so LITTLE time. I've worked on things ranging from creating the 2009-2010 magnet, working on various things for our Alumni Active Minds students, to creating a list of "Who's Who of SAC" for our November conference. I feel like I can go on for a while, but I'll stop at that.

Sitting here reading the quote made me realize how little I stopped this week to just appreciate life. So I figured I would share my thoughts (assuming you want to hear them), on why I think we all need to stop throughout the day to just breath.

Life moves too fast. Everyone is so concerned about what's going to happen in the future without taking a step back to look at the present. However, how do you define the "present" anyways? By merely sitting here, thinking of what to type next, I'm letting the present slip by as I think ahead to the (very) near future - and typing what comes to mind. No one truly stops to think about what they're doing at that very moment - it's always "what's going to happen in 5 minutes?" or "what will tomorrow bring?"

If people stopped every-so-often, even for a measly 30 seconds, they would be able to get a better grasp on the present. Once someone becomes more aware of their surroundings, they will become more aware of the problems their relatives and friends have run into; thus, they may be able to prevent tragedies such as suicide and the rapidly increasing cases of depression. Society as a whole needs to start looking after one another; you never know when you'll be the one asking for help.

Once in a while, stop. Just take a short pause in the middle of the day. Take a deep breath; in through your nose, out through your mouth. Wisely make use of the time you have while you've stopped. Think about what you're doing, and all the things you'd like to do; all the people you'd like to talk to; every issue that matters to you. Once you've done this, restart and focus on those issues. Try to change what you see wrong throughout the world. Pay special attention to the people around you and always make sure you are there for them, and that they know you are there for them.

One more thing. Always, always, always make sure that you tell those you love that you do, in fact, love them. Too many people leave home in the morning after an argument, or end a conversation on the wrong tone. You truly never know what might happen in the future. This is something I've learned working as an EMT. Ask anyone that works in Emergency Medical Services - you never really know how the day will end. Too many times we go to a call, and there is nothing we can do for a patient. Before you leave the house in the morning or hang up the phone with a loved one, make sure to tell them you love them.

I guess this has started being my little "sign-off", so remember that we are all working towards a similar goal, so why not help each other out!