I put my underwear on inside-out twice in the past week. Too much information? Yeah, sorry about that.
The first time I did it, I was visiting my father and I suspected my mind was on him. But then I did it again after I got home and I’m not sure what I was thinking at that point. Clearly, I was not thinking about getting dressed.
Maybe this is a common occurrence for you. Maybe you put on two different earrings or socks that aren’t exactly a pair on a regular basis. Heck, my sixth-grade son wears two different socks every day on purpose. It’s his thing.
Wearing my underwear inside-out is not my thing.
One of my favorite humans, Bob Goff, likes to say, “Be where your feet are.”
I think that means we should be present in the present. Like when we are opening a gift, removing the tissue paper and peeking inside the box. We are fully present to find out what’s inside that box. If a puppy jumped out, we could catch it because we are paying attention.
How often is that the case in our lives? How often are our minds in this exact moment instead of shifting into the land of could happen or should happen?
Lately, it seems the only time I’m truly present is when I’m writing at my computer or watching “The Mentalist” on TV. Those are the times I pay attention. After all, I want the honor of announcing to the rest of the family that I solved the crime before the show ended.
I sure wish I could give you a fool-proof way of staying in the moment when you’re putting your underwear on each day. I’m still working on that.
All I can say is I would never exchange the gifts I receive when I stick to the moment. I laugh more. I catch the way the sun beam catches the light in my kids’ hair.
And I feel grateful.
That’s worth the effort it takes to be where my feet are.
