There’s something magical about a hummingbird. They are tiny and delicate. They sparkle when the sun catches their jewel toned feathers just right. They can hover in the air. And each year they travel long distances to migrate away from the cold. There’s always a sense of anticipation when I put the hummingbird feeder out each year.
Because they are so magical to me, I have given myself permission that no matter how busy I am, if I happen to glance out the window and see one at the feeder, I can stop what I’m doing and watch until it flies away.
This spring, my back porch has afforded me wonderful opportunities to work outside while I catch some Vitamin D and get away from my desk. And just now, as I’m reading a book about anxiety, one flew up to the feeder.
“Ah, to be a hummingbird,” I thought. “No worries. No anxiety. No stress. Hummingbirds don’t worry about clocking in to work on time. They don’t worry about how much money is in the bank. They get to just live. Bask in the sunshine. Flit here and there. Drink nectar. They get to just be.”
And then a robin perched on top of the shepherd’s hook. A white butterfly flew by. I noticed the rosemary and pineapple sage quietly growing. I noticed a bloom on the wildflowers I planted from seed. I felt the breeze and heard the wind blowing through the trees. And it was nice. I didn’t want that moment to end.
What’s Holding You Back?
How can you be like that hummingbird? How can you adopt a mentality of not worrying and savoring every beautiful moment of your life? What would it take for you to release the worries and just be? Truth be told, you probably have a list of things that you’d like different in your life, a list of worries that if they went away, you would think your life was perfect.
But how many of those lists have you had in the past? How many of those things on the list have you crossed off? And how many times have you given yourself permission to not worry because you had changed something on that list? Often, when we do one thing to propel ourselves forward, we find something else to take its place. The list is never-ending.
The reality is life is full of two kinds of opportunities. You can choose to savor and relish those wonderful moments that are right in front of you right now. Or you can shift your focus to the what-ifs and the what-mights. Like all things, too much of either can be a bad thing. Too much time spent in the here and now means you aren’t prepared for a rainy day (or even for dinner). Too much time spent focusing on the things that might happen prevents you from enjoying the things that really make life wonderful. Balance is key.
Action Steps
Make a short list of the things you would like to be doing. And make a list of what things are keeping you from doing them. Then decide which things have to be done now so you can enjoy those things you want to be doing. And decide which things can wait until later. There’s no time like to present.
Besides, taking time to enjoy something now will make you more productive and happier when it is time to focus!