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To feel fully alive mandates that we be wholly present wherever we find ourselves. To not be lost in thought, to not be dreaming about tomorrow or recalling the past, whether it is a beautiful memory or otherwise. 

And to be present is to accept, to know, that we cannot know, but instead to shift the energy of futile efforts of attempting to figure out what cannot be figured out until it happens instead to seeing what is actually there, and all that is there. 

The quote shared above came from a daily newsletter I receive from Grateful Living. I think many TSLL readers already subscribe to it as well, and it was from one TSLL reader that I learned of this uplifting source of daily inspiration. As Brother David Steindl-Rast shares, the joy of life is all around us every day if we bring our full attention to the moment we find ourselves, even if events have occurred prior to that moment that are unwanted. To be able, at the most basic level, to see, to feel, to hear, to taste, to think, to remember, how fortunate we are, and so then it is up to us, should we choose to stop 'wanting', that we actually hold ourselves more firmly in the Present moment. Yes, to stop wanting, because when we want, we are no longer fully, or at all, in the Present moment. 

Wanting the dates of our planned vacation to arrive, wanting it to be 7pm when dinner will be served, the event will begin, our parcel will arrive. Wanting it to be tomorrow and not today because tomorrow is a day off. Wanting to be [insert a characteristic you desire to embody]. When we want, we don't appreciate. We cannot do both simultaneously because our attention cannot be in two places at once. 

When we choose to shift away from wanting, we begin to see how rich and amazing our life is at this very moment, and if anything is not as we would like it to be, instead of wanting, the most constructive thing to do is to look for what we can learn from it. What is the universe trying to teach us? I write about just this topic in the most recent Monday Motivational post which addresses the idea of things falling apart to enable you to live more truly as you are fully capable of doing. 

To be clear, it is okay and most beneficial to have intentions for our future. To set them clearly and stay focused on them, but once you have set them, placed yourself on the proper track and are heading in the direction we need to be, we must let go and do the full living here in the Present moment. 

In other words, most definitely plan that vacation and let yourself get excited about the day it finally arrives. After all, the anticipation is half of the fun of the trip itself! But don't live in the future because then you are not living in the Present if you are daydreaming and likely then setting expectations of what the vacation will entail which is also a habit to let go of - having expectations. Again, instead, set intentions. Prepare for the trip as you best can and desire and then let the trip be what it will be, and so long as you are fully present on the vacation, fully engaged, fully there and taking all that is around, then magical moments will happen, but we cannot predict them, nor even plan for them. What will unfold will be partly due to variables beyond each of us, thus out of our control, and partly due to if and then how we choose to show up and engage. 

In other words, whether you are on vacation at the moment, planning for a vacation or just returned from vacation, every day, whether on vacation or not is FULL of delights that will elevate your appreciation and thus heighten the quality of your overall enjoyment of living life. Because finally you are fully alive and not just existing or waiting or both. Do neither. Instead dance with this life, look at it, see it, appreciate it, celebrate it, and the magic that will manifest, the awesome energy and connections that spring out of you fully being present will surprise you in the most wonderful ways. Maybe not today, or even this year, but if you keep truly being yourself and showing up fully, unimaginably beautiful things start to unfold.

Speaking of unfolding, summer/winter is unfolding into its latter half as we wrap up July, but before August begins, this month's newsletter is full of three Style Inspiration posts with oodles of shopping and sales and investment pieces that will be with you for years to come, as well as a detailed podcast episode that reflects on the many lessons of my 3-year home customization journey, This & Thats full of content to explore, read, watch and enjoy along with all of the other regular monthly posts you come to look forward to and enjoy. 

Wishing you a wonderful start to a brand new week and month, and thank you for choosing to subscribe to the monthly newsletter. Until the final day in August (Thursday), the 31st, I will see you on the blog!

—Shannon

~To explore every post you wish to read, be sure to become a member to one of the two tiers - BASIC or TOP as non-members can only read five non-exclusive posts a month (it will reset on the first of each month - tomorrow!).