One of the reasons I started TheMindfulEater is because I recognized that we are less mindfully engaged in the things we do. We are such good multi-taskers that we often eat while driving and on the phone. Or we work while chatting and listening to the radio (yours truly - guilty as charged!). The complexity of our world and the luxuries it has provided us has accelerated our productivity - but I believe it also robs us of true engagement with our lives. That is, simply being fully present, in the moment. Being mindful.

My most heartfelt realization of this occurred in the days before Lulu arrived. I was, like most near-delivery pregnant women, quite anxious to go into labor. I just wanted the baby here already. As I folded laundry, trying to calm myself, I had deja-vu - I flashed back to a time, about 9 months earlier and newly pregnant, when I imagined the future springtime when I'd have my child. Immediately I thought "that day seems like just yesterday!" Then I realized that in no time, I'd have my kid and before I knew it, I'd be celebrating her fifth birthday and again be thinking that this moment I'm in right now - would seem like it was "just yesterday". It was a huge A-HA! moment... and something in me squeaked "carpe diem!" I realized that the way to combat this sad regretful feeling was to stop thinking about the past and future and focus on the beautiful simplicity of the NOW.

There's something ever so lovely about resigning to the present moment. The most simple, mundane thing can become absolutely delicious if we actively engage our senses.

I have declared war on flying time. It is not easy - it takes practice; I try every day. I decide not to turn on the TV or the radio while feeding my child (which takes an hour, 7 times a day). Instead, I turn to my senses and be present with her; I study her, gaze into her eyes, sing and talk to her. We breathe together. We go to the park and I talk with her about what we can hear, and explore all the beautiful things we can see. I engage my sixth senses with her, trying to relish in our unspoken communication with each other just by being present. And then she usually spits up all over me. Nevertheless, It's amazing how fulfilling all this can be.

I implore you to practice this mindfulness. For further inspiration, read Eckhart Tolle's book "The Power of Now" (genius).

Next time you hear yourself think or say "time flies!" try being actively present. It is the only way to combat this feeling of the world going by at warp speed...