Present moment awareness

Another reason I journal is present moment awareness.

The awareness of being more aware of this very second in time wasn't the reason I began journaling, not in so many words anyway, but journaling has become a way that I can get one foot out of yesterday, the other foot out of tomorrow and stand, at least for the time when pen meets paper, squarely in the NOW.

Present moment awareness.

Our generation is obsessed with multi-tasking.  Right now as I write a blog about being aware of the present moment I find myself with scrambled eggs and an almond flour biscuit being eaten a few bites at a time in between key strokes.  Some of it I tasted, some of it I simply swallowed.  Today is busy and I wanted to get a post done so...I'm eating breakfast while typing.  So much for practicing what I preach; That is typical of my life.  

Why does that bother me?  Because each moment i time is all I'm ever promised and I want to live my life to the fullest, not just exist.

 What are some other reasons I want to be aware of the present moment via my journal?  Sometimes so I can make note of the wonderful things that happen in my life (whether I was paying attention at the moment or not).  I often find myself praying on paper, especially when life gets tough. Writing to God seems to be much easier (for me, anyway) than trying to keep myself on topic with the Almighty.  Another reason is that I sometimes wake up with what the great Christian spiritual masters called "the morning demons", or yesterday's troubles overshadowing today.  I really dislike the "morning demons".

So, how do I practice "present moment awareness" by journaling?

I begin by simply writing the date.  I have just journaled.  There are LOTS of journal entries that are just dates.  Why?  The reasons range from running out of time to running to the bathroom.  And, for me, the BEST reason for a date only entry in my journal is that my mind is quiet enough that I can leave something blank.

That doesn't happen very often.

I've written several other blogs about the types of journaling I prefer so I won't go into those again in this post, but I do my best to journal every day, because, at least in those moments I am aware of the present moment.

How about you?  Are you willing to face a blank page of paper with an ink pen in exchange for living in the exact moment?