Savoring is something happy people know how to do. We often think of savoring fine wine or gourmet food. We can also savor a sunset, a conversation with a loved one, reading a good book - or just about anything that draws out our strengths and talents. To savor is to be fully alive in the moment. When we savor, we use all of our senses to fully perceive what we are currently experiencing. Though being present in the moment is part of savoring, we savor not only in the moment. We savor when we anticipate sharing something we relished with someone else. And, we also savor when we think about enjoying something the future. Savoring expert, Fred Bryant, has discovered that we savor in four dimensions:
- Basking. Receiving praise and congratulations.
- Thanksgiving. Expressing gratitude for blessings.
- Marveling. Losing the self in the wonder of the moment.
- Luxuriating. Indulging the senses.
Sometimes our busy lives make savoring difficult. It is important to refocus. As I take my daily walk through my rural hometown of Lyons, CO, I often find my mind wondering to the concern of the day or worry about tomorrow. I will stop and touch a flower, put my feet in the creek, hum a happy song or look around me to discover something new in the natural habitat that surrounds me. When savoring my walk, I focus on what I am grateful for in the moment. When I am at work, I savor the moment by focusing on recognizing the strengths of others, synergistic teamwork, and/or the moment of a healthy birth. In my community, I savor feeling the connection to a purpose much larger than myself and I savor the anticipation of seeing that connection grow over time. With everything I savor, I look forward to sharing the best parts of my week with a friend, loved one and/or my newsletter readers.
We each draw on our unique personality strengths in what we choose to savor. No matter what you chose to enjoy, here are some ways to enhance the art of savoring:
Share with friends and loved ones. Seek out others to share the experience, and tell others how much you value the moment.
Store memories. Take real or mental photographs. Find a physical souvenir of the event and put it in a place where you can share it with others.
Congratulate yourself. Don't be afraid to feel proud. Positively compare yourself to others and enjoy your successes.
Sharpen your perceptions. Focus on certain elements and block out others, for instance when you focus on touching the leaves of a flower or studying the ripples in the river, you block out other distractions in your mind.
Be absorbed. Let yourself get totally immersed and try not to think, just sense.
This week - I challenge readers to take time to savor something special everyday. It does make a difference!
Cathy Hartt, RN, CNM, MS is a health, life and business coach living in Lyons, CO. She is an advance practice nurse, specializing in nurse-midwifery and obstetrics for over 20 years. She has spent her career pioneering improvements in health care systems. Rural
Colorado has been a life long calling for Cathy, and she is passionate about serving the small communities there, as well as designing services for the broader, national women's health community. She also enjoys working with businesses of all sorts related to team building and quality improvement. For more information, please visit her web site www.harttweb.com/empower
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