Inspiration Points

The phrase Energize Your Moment embodies the mission of Momentum Coaching. To Energize the Moment you are in is to be fully aware of who and where you are. This sometimes happens by accident, but most often is a choice.

It’s no secret that outdoor adventures bring me boundless energy. In early April, I spent 10 days exploring Arizona and Utah. I took full advantage of the time absorbing beautiful scenery from trails, slot canyons and the fiery color of the canyons walls. Each night I snuggled into my sleeping bag feeling the cool desert air blow through the tent, lulling me to sleep. I promised I would bring back my inspiration points for you and here they are.

Complete Presence

No doubt about it, I was full of energy on this trip. Energizing moments are those moments in which you have complete sensory awareness. Not only are you mentally aware of your surroundings, but you can also hear them, see them, feel them, smell them and even taste them. You are fully engaged, experiencing the moment as each second passes.

Some participate in active sports where complete mental presence is a necessity to avoid bodily injury or a team loss. Others experience the more subtle form of presence by choosing to practice meditation. Still others fall into it unexpectedly, suddenly realizing how truly aware their mind and body is in that moment.

One of my favorite exercises in awareness is to sit still wherever I am, center my body and focus on one sensory experience at a time. First, listen to everything and single out the noises that you hear, even down to the gentle hum from the heat or air conditioning. Next, do the same thing with what you see, down to how the person next to you ties their shoelaces. Go through all of your senses until they feel heightened. You can also choose to focus on one each day, slowly warming up to what it’s like to fully experience each sense. Next, focus on which moments really capture you and work to create more of them throughout your days.

Full Bodied Lessons

Trips like the one to Arizona are filled with ripe, fruitful lessons on how to be in the moment. Each morning as I unzipped my tent, I was reminded that I don’t need much in this world. Yet, consequently, I know I am enough for this world. As I stood at the summit of each mountain, catching my breath and looking at the horizon miles in the distance, I was reminded that there is so much of this world I have not yet seen. Yet I know my body is healthy and strong enough to carry me to new places. Every new adventure reminds me how much I have yet to learn. My mind is wide open to the lessons that can only fill me with more confidence down the road. With every stunning vista, my heart opened a little more to the beauty that is beyond me and within me. My awareness of self and surroundings escalated with each inhalation.

These are my personal moments on the edge. This is where I choose to stretch myself physically and mentally. I also choose to be open in other areas of my life. Always striving for more, always open to opportunity. Career, relationships and personal life all require awareness of your energy levels. If you’re not juiced by what you’re doing, why are you doing it? If the people who surround you do not energize you, why do you choose to keep them there? Where is your attention if you don’t notice the simple things in life anymore?

The Challenge

Of course I have a challenge for you in all of this. Have you ever experienced a time when a new perspective vastly changed your path and opened your eyes? What would you say if I challenged you to find those lessons in every moment? There are two ways to challenge your awareness:

1. By consequence.
Meaning that you happen to experience something intensely and you take that lesson with you. This is passive awareness. Things happen to you instead of you creating them. Forward movement is possible, but it often involves long pauses between your stretch zones.

2. By choice and with intention.
To practice pushing the edge is to do so consciously based on what you need and want in life. Comfort is replaced with an energetic investment in your next goal. Your senses are heightened, your awareness is keen and your intentions are focused. Forward movement is unstoppable.

The more I see on these adventures, the deeper my hunger for new experiences grows. Every time I choose to stretch my boundaries – whether it’s with myself, my business or my relationships – I invite into my life a new series of limitations to conquer. Now, I no longer see a final goal, but rather the goal of my next adventure, which will forever lead to another. This is my commitment to continuously stretch my perspective of the world, of myself and of others. In these moments, I feel fully alive, aware and empowered. So it’s no surprise that nature is my best teacher and the source of my most empowering lessons. Where do your lessons come from and what does your commitment look like?