How can I hold on to a moment?

Question

You leave work on a Friday afternoon after a stressful, tiring day at the office. It's a chilly, wet, windy winter's day, but the sun smiles down on you through a gap in the dull, overcast sky, warming you with its warm rays, and a bird sitting on the branch of a nearby tree offers you a song as if to herald in the two days of rest and recuperation which stand before. The frown leaves your face, the weight drops from your shoulders and a feeling of elation covers you like a warm blanket.

How can I hold on to moments like these and other momentous moments? If you can only offer sarcasm, keep it; if you can offer insightfulness, please do share it. Thank you.

Answer 1

A compelling question and one that is close to my heart... thank you for asking it.
I remember a similar experience, by chance, almost 12 years ago (I was 21 then), sitting on the edge of my bed, a very warm summer’s day, looking out of the window, and the sun settled on my shoulders, I could hear the birds outside, the tops of tress rustled in the breeze, and for that one moment, time stood still, I felt at ease, life seemed incredibly beautiful.
I’ve tried to recreate it since then, but it was forced, and rarely worked. Meditation, or consumerist pretence never really made a difference... and then one day, not too long ago, I tripped the light fantastic again.
I realised that what I needed to do was to be present. It didn't matter where I was or what was on my mind. I needed to pause, feel each breath, let my skin tell me how warm or wet it felt, and not my head, let my ears tell me what they heard, my eyes what they saw, and know that life, in all its complexity and insanity, is still very simple. That being in the moment, being present and aware in your context, being aware of yourself, brings that sense of calm and infinite beauty.
And when you do that, you start to find opportunities to feel it again and again, whilst standing in the subway, a quiet night at home, in the middle of the dance floor, wherever you choose to pause, and find, acknowledge and be present with yourself.
I don’t think I’ve really answered your question, but re-reading it, I wonder whether it’s even supposed to have an answer…

Answer 2

Why not try to recreate moments or events where you felt that way? When you are feeling stressed, remember the uncontrived reprieve you felt that day and try to recreate one for yourself. Of course you can't turn on the sun with a switch or use a remote to make the birds sing, but you can take a long hot bubble bath, or watch a favorite DVD, treat yourself to a favorite dinner--remember YOU and you can have those moments whenever you like. Happy hunting!

Answer 3

It is damn tough, almost impossible for us human beings, but the only way it is.... we need to try convert all other moments into equally warm and pleasing ones in which case there would be no need to hold on to any particular ones. I sincerely believe that a positive outlook towards life does manage to achieve this to quite an extent by minimizing the dull or painful moments in life.

Answer 4

One approach: sit in meditation, later that evening, and gently or whole-heartedly contemplate your earlier feeling, your "moment." (Having placed/imagined a bright golden-white sphere of light around you, in the beginning, you are more able to love the moment and the God Omnipresence import of it.) Giving thanks, in love, strengthens your coherency of the moment, and builds momentum.

Another approach: before moving into sleep, ask God to make you a better person, and imagine your higher "moment" as a "teachable moment," which God and Christ, Truth, will use.

Both of these approaches, plus giving gratitude during the experience, will help keep and build momentum.

You might enjoy "Watch Your Dreams," Ann Ree Colton, "Climb the Highest Mountain," Mark Prophet, "The Living Book of Nature," O. M. Aivanhov, "To Live Within," Lizelle Reymond, "Expecting Adam," Martha Beck, and "The Great Divorce," C. S. Lewis, as they indicate "teachable moments." Perhaps you may write so others may understand.

Http://www.yogananda-srf.org and http://www.easwaran.org also help.

best regards,

j.

Answer 5

By the time you narrate your current becomes past and your future becomes current.

While standing on the river bank I am unable to see the same water at any particular point of time.

Because by the time u realize so many gallons of water has flown through.

No way one can hold the moments. What one can hold is memory only.

Answer 6

You found the answer yourself. :-) You've written it down in your question. Perhaps you could write a journal just to hold on to these memorable moments of joy, so that whenever you flip back the pages, the scene comes back to you as if it happened only yesterday. You sound like a good writer... so you'll have no trouble doing it.

It's nice to know that there are people out there who enjoy nature as much as I do. :-)

Answer 7

Literally take one. Take a moment to recognize all the things you are loving about this moment. Then take an inventory of your sense perceptions. What are you smelling, what are you hearing. Picture yourself at a later date remembering this moment.


Also, sometimes the clouds dont part and the birds dont sing. And we can still take a moment.

Answer 8

When you are down, or having a bad time , stop and take a minute to go back in time to remember how it looked, and felt. You have to let everything go around you to take you back, but oh is it ever worth it. Memories are good for holding on to moments like this.

Answer 9

Hiya..

If only we could hold onto the moment as you describe..we likely would stay in the moment for all time!
The moment is for me all there is..it is transient and fleeting..it is experienced and recognised for what it is..or for what it is not...and it is lived ..
Special moments are jewels in our lives..they may be remembered and kept in a place of sanctuary in our hearts...but they cannot be lived for ever.

Our lives are coloured by experience..an artist could not do justice to the wealth and diversity we discover..and each experience is of the moment..and as the moment is lost so another is discovered...
The placement of one moment next to another allows us to grow and expand both our vision and perspective..

We can choose to keep certain moments in our hearts to lighten the darker days...
Recall may bring us many joys..and recall allows us to relight the flame we call the moment.

Answer 10

The only way to hold on to a relaxing moment is to lock it away in our (cpu's) minds and when we find ourselves in need of a soothing moment we hit the refresh button and smile within.