Don’t Get stuck in a Moment: Get inspired by it
“She smiled and said with an ecstatic air: “It shines like a little diamond”,
“What does?”
“This moment. It is round, it hangs in empty space like a little diamond; I am eternal.”
–Jean-Paul Sartre, The Age of Reason
Just like most other New Yorker on the weekday morning commute, I have my headphones on. I’m listening away to songs of inspiration that will propel me forward in the day. My songs of inspiration can range from Elton John’s “I’m Still Standing” to The Smashing Pumpkins “Bullet with Butterfly Wings” to “Add it Up” by the Violent Femmes. The early songs provide motivation for the varied moments of the day ahead.
I know that each day is different from the one before and the one to come. I am lucky in that I can truly, unequivocally note that each day stands on its own and is never boring. I am also unlucky in that every day is indeed different and not boring. Occasionally, it would be nice to have a groundhog day or two. There are happy moments, there are hard moments and there are WTF moments. Oh boy, are there. It is the combination of all those moments that motivate me forward in my daily being and consequently my writing.
Growing up in the South Bronx, where we often looked out the window from behind window bars, the world was our television. We lived reality shows before there were reality shows. I watched couples fight and run away from each other. I saw a six year old girl get hit by a car and end up with permanent hearing loss in her right ear. I watched the kids splash about in the fire hydrant. I saw a boy crack his skull on the hot New York cement. I heard gunshots ring out beneath my window. I had a typewriter but I chose to write about fanciful worlds. I was not ready then to be mindful of the moment as I had to survive the moment.
One song that I eventually took to heart is U2’s “stuck in the moment”. As they note, you can’t be stuck in a moment. If you get stuck, life stagnates. However, you cannot ignore the moment. You can’t forget the moment. You can’t fast forward through the moment. There needs to be a sense of mindfulness. The practice of mindfulness is learning how to pay attention and “becoming aware of what’s going on around you or within you.”
Being aware of the moment can lead to an enhanced sense of being all round. I process each moment and get past each after I have quickly understood what that moment was about. By being aware of each moment, I have a treasure trove of moments on which to generate motivation. Author Charles Bukowski, of War All the Time noted
“some moments are nice, some are nicer, some are even worth writing about”
With that in mind, it is a good thing to always have a notepad handy on which to write down one’s thoughts when caught in a moment. Some of my best posts have been about moments that I struggled to get past because they were so shocking to my being. When I was confronted with the adoration that an extreme phony was getting everyday, I wrote (what for me is) a classic piece. It was called “It’s ok to be a phony as long as it is authentic.” When I started missing my mother more and more, I started writing poetry. A moment in the bath, a moment in the meeting room or a moment in the elevator led to an outpouring of words onto virtual paper. By being mindful, I am becoming a writer. That awareness is key to making the most of each day.
Categories: childhood, family, identity, mental health, new york, Psychology
psychologistmimi 
Such a lovely post. I love that U2 song, though I think the inspiration behind it is quite sad. I love Kite too.
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Thanks. Yes sad song and I ‘ve used it multiple times because I can’t seem to get away from it. nor do I want to 🙂 hope you are are having a lovely week
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Interesting journey that one from Satre to Bukowski … 🙂
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Lol. Yes, hadn’t realized I had done that 🙂 many cheers to you today
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Cheers returned! 😀
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I love writing, however, I love nostalgia. I will write a piece on my blog and if appropriate I compare it with an event from my own past. It brings me warm and fuzzy feelings..haha However, one day, I want to write about things in my past that weren’t warm and fuzzy…Time will tell….Time does not stay still for me…..But I do agree about some songs–they stay in my mind forever!!!
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Nostalgia is good too! 🙂 cheers
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I knew you would agree.
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Very thought-provoking piece. Never imagined to make the most of every moment – they pass so quickly. I’ve been thinking of keeping a pad and pen on my night tale. I seem to get priceless (to me) thoughts and ideas as I’m trying to fall asleep. That’s why, on some nights, I have trouble getting to sleep. Will do tonight.
I cannot empathize with your thoughts on the music you mention. I could say they were before my time, but actually, I was before their time!! Ha.
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Did you start keeping a pad and pen? I think its a great idea!
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Thanks for the reminder, Mimi. When I read your reply to my comment, I took a pad from my desk, got up from my chair, went into the kitchen where I knew I had some extra pens in a drawer for a long time. There were 5 pens of different origins. Four didn’t work, and the 5th (oldest) did. It was from a resort in Sedona AZ where I had stayed in 1995!!
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awesome. hope you got to use that fab pen!
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Great post! This sums up many thoughts that I’ve been having about life. Thanks for sharing 🙂
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Thanks for stopping by, reading and commenting. Hope your day is going well
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Uplifting, optimistic, horizon expanding post as always. I love the way you weave the sadness of reality with seeds of improvement for a good future!
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thank you. You have a gift with descriptive summaries! love your take on the post as always. Hope you are having a lovely summer thus far.
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You too. I have just bought a couple of vintage sundresses from a revival shop (sale rail was 10$ each) so fingers crossed we have another month of super sun (otherwise I will be wearing them with tights… not a good look!)
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