“Wherever you are, be all there.” -Jim Elliot
You would think it would be easy to be fully present in the moment at hand, but it’s not. With all the distractions out in the world, daily struggles, and personal issues, it is becoming harder and harder to be fully present, whether it be in solitude or with a friend. This is pretty sad because allowing yourself to be fully present wherever you are can be enriching, rewarding, energizing and extremely beneficial. How so? Well, let me tell you. In order to explain how it can be beneficial, I need to tell you a story from last year, far from the current moment. HAHA. Last year, I studied abroad in Gaming, Austria. While I was there, I got to visit some pretty darn amazing art museums across Europe. One of my favorite museums I went to was the National Gallery in London (ALL HEARTS). I spent nearly two hours there and it still wasn’t enough time to appreciate the collection there! My favorite paintings the National Gallery included some paintings from Monet’s Water Lilies series (can’t get anymore into the moment than Impressionism). Staring into one of these paintings, I allowed the artwork to fully capture my attention and senses. My phone and camera were somewhere at the bottom of my backpack. It was just me and the painting. I was so involved with this painting that I felt I could have jumped right into it and entered the scene of water lilies. Just like Mary Poppins! I’m glad I didn’t though because I would’ve been in prison for twelve thousand years.
When an artist creates a painting or a song, she produces or captures a single moment. The artist allows you to be in the moment with her by inviting you to experience the work of art right along with her. Art helps one focus on the present moment because in order to fully enjoy the work, you need to surrender your senses, cares, and concerns to the artist and her work. If you only gave half of your attention to the work at hand, you would easily miss the slightest of details, the image as a whole, and the message the artist is sending you. Spending time in an art gallery or going to a show invites you to be in the present moment, slow down, reflect, and breathe. You forget all of our cares and concerns because you are fully centered on experiencing what the artist wants you to experience. Just as art is filled with details both big and small, so is life. Life is way more enjoyable when you allow its moments and details, both big and small, to capture your full attention. You can take the energy you’ve received from going to an art gallery and apply it to spending time with a friend or working out. Whether it be seeing Beyonce live, driving to work, or taking the first sip of coffee in the morning- BE. ALL. THERE.