Be in the moment. I'm sure many of us have heard that advice countless times, and many of us, myself included, struggle to do that. It's so easy to hide behind our phones, our jobs, our busy schedules. I admit it, being in the moment takes focus, a certain letting go of all the other distractions and just being still. For me at least, the struggle isn't necessarily that I can't be still, but that at times, it's scary to be still.

I'll explain what I mean by that. Being still, ceasing our distractions, is frightening because we have to face whatever is in front of us at this very moment. We have to be honest with ourselves and our feelings, and honest with those around us. A lot of the time, it is easier to escape, to ignore our present situations and all the drama that can come with it.

Being present is not always pleasant. It can be a strange mixture of both rest and frightening vulnerability. Many times, I hide behind my phone to avoid interacting with others. In a way, it feels safer, yet it's lonely and dull and stressful not to be present.

The day after arriving back home in Florida after visiting family for Christmas, I enjoyed being in the moment. It was a beautiful 80-degree day, and we went to one of our favorite parks. We sat on the bench at the edge of the lake and watched anhingas dive into the water and resurface again, completely enjoying themselves. The sun was shining, and everyone at the park was there to enjoy themselves. They were lounging in the grass or strolling together, and kids were running around playing. The atmosphere was one of relaxation and enjoyment. Everyone was forgetting about work and life's worries and enjoying the moment.

There was barely a breeze, and the sky was vibrant blue. I saw everyone else enjoying themselves around me and I wanted to do the same. I set down my phone and breathed in the warm summer-like air, soaking it all in. At first, it was a little challenging to slow down and be still. Thoughts of the past and the future always tried to invade. Worries, drama, you know how it is, those nagging thoughts that repeat in your mind and get you down or get you distracted. However, the longer I sat on that bench watching the anhingas play, my thoughts began to still, and I enjoyed the park and the beautiful day for what it was and didn't try to figure it out or rush through it or think about it, just watch and enjoy. I realized that the park, the day, all that relaxation, it was heaven, it was perfect in every way and many moments are if we slow down enough to see it. I didn't want to leave that bench, we sat there for a long while, longer than usual.

It was nice for once not rushing or worrying, just being. It was peaceful. Sometimes it's challenging or frightening to let go of our distractions. We get so used to them. But I was glad to put it down and soak in the moment. It's what life is all about and if there's anything I want to do more of this new year, 2019, is more of that, more being still in the moment and noticing the beauty of what is right in front of me.