Freeze Frame

Have you ever stopped and thought what if this were the last time I saw the person in front of me? Through years of meditation I have learned to step into the present moment. By doing this, it makes life so much more meaningful. I like to call this practice Freeze Frame.

By being aware of each moment, we begin to actually appreciate the beauty and meaning of it. How many times over the course of our lives do we miss moments of importance? Through my 3 decades as a mental health professional, I have heard "if only I told them I loved them" (the last time I saw them). This comes up in grief counseling quite a lot. It similar to the old saying never go to bed angry. The principle is the same. Life does not guarantee us time. You can be present, angry, yet still let someone know that you still love them. Why do we not say it?

Freeze frame. The ability to know that each moment is sacred and that it should be treated as such. In a world full of past paced thinking, talking and technology, how many of us are missing what is truly important? The person standing in front of us. What would you say or do differently if you knew this was the last time you would see them again? While this is rather a foreign thought for many, (especially for the younger crowd) eventually enough time will pass and every conversation will be your last with a loved one.

I am guilty of this too. But though mediation, and my years of work as a counselor, I am reminded of it more and more often. When we think Freeze Frame, we are actually allow for our communication to be relevant, meaningful and enjoyed. By taking a Zen posture, you are fully committing to the moment. As we do this, we are showing great respect and love for the time shared with another.

Freeze Frame doesn't always have to be about meaningful conversations with a loved one. It sometimes is a vehicle for staying on task. There is a beauty that comes when we slow down. We tend to make less mistakes, thus fewer frustrations.

I remember doing a lecture many years ago at a local hospital on stress. While doing my research I discovered that 7 out of 10 people with a visit to their primary care physician, were due to stress or stress related conditions (I'm sure that number has changed since then). But my thought was, what if we learned to control our stress? Does that mean we could decrease the likely hood of us getting sick? Something to think about.

So the purpose of this article? To remind us that good things come when we slow down. Learn to pause. Take a Freeze Frame. I believe we all would do things differently if we were reminded that time is passing. And remembering that eventually that each conversation we have, we ultimately be our last. Practice the art of leaving the right words.


 By Vance Larson


Article Source: Freeze Frame