Can you take a moment with you?
We’ve all experienced a moment that was deeply pleasing, deeply calming – a moment when we felt as though “all is well in the world.” Feelings like that may only last a moment before the busyness of a day intrudes and pulls us out of that beautiful moment. But wouldn’t it be nice of we could revisit that moment again and enjoy the feelings of that moment?
If we give our moment a few “handles” we can make retrieving the moment easier. Just like searching the internet, if we carefully attach tags to our memory of a moment, we may see that it becomes easier to find that memory (and the feelings attached to it) again. Our brain’s temporal lobe even uses smells to “glue” some information in place. And giving a name to that feeling/experience can be helpful, too.
The next time you experience one of those moments that you want to be able to find in your mind again, try this “recipe” for a lasting memory. I’ll use the serenity I find walking in the woods as my example for my moment.
- Open eyes widely, smile and say,
- “This is what serenity looks like.”
- Close eyes, smile, take a slow deep breathe, and say,
- “This is what serenity smells like – fresh, earthy, alive.”
- With eyes closed, smiling, and ears focused, say,
- “This is what serenity sounds like – birds, a breeze, and a babbling brook.”
- Eyes open, smiling, say,
- “This place makes me feel safe, peaceful, and serene.” (3 feelings is good.)
- (Optional, if applicable) Smile and hum a song that feels like it goes with the moment/place.
With all of the “glue” that’s now applied to your special moment, you may be surprised at how quickly you will be able to call up that memory and the feelings that you’ve connected to it.
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