Stop, take a deep breath and smell the roses.

Stop and smell the roses is a phrase many people are familiar with. And I am sure I am not the only one with the notion that the days and time goes by so quickly. While in a conversation with a friend, I mentioned how fast the day goes by that I barely have the time to do what I want to do. And he pointed out that we still have 24 hours in a day, but we have been so busy with our lives that we don't even stop to enjoy the day or the fine things life has to offer. Hence it seems the days go by quickly.

Living in a fast-paced city does not seem to help. I remember going out with a friend, and after dinner, we decided to take a walk around the coast from Barangaroo to Circular Quay. This is supposed to be a leisurely walk where we talk and enjoy the gorgeous views of Sydney in the evening. But alas, Victoria, who is used to walking fast so as not to bump into people in the city or rushing to get somewhere, decided to continue with my fast-paced walk without considering that I was on a leisure walk. After a while, my friend was like, OK, Victoria, you are walking too fast, and I am struggling to keep up. I laughed and blamed it on my long legs, but I told her always to remind me when I start walking fast because I am already used to that, and I unconsciously walk fast, so I need someone to check me. But that is what life as we see it is. We now have a routine and we stick to that routine. For some people, it is work, gym, professional development and sleep. Sometimes occasional hang out with friends. For people like me who is a church, I go to church on Sunday. But I wonder how many minutes we have scheduled in our routine to appreciate life, the beauty around us and the people in our lives.

Besides the busy nature of life, we have been so distracted by technology that most often than not, even in public transport, we are barely aware of our environment but rather engrossed with our mobile devices. While this may not apply to some people, we cannot deny that the majority of the population is affected by this. Of course, there is nothing wrong with mobile technology, neither is there anything wrong with being busy. Like everything in life, the problem lies when we get so caught up in our busy lives or use technology that we stop enjoying our existence. There is a reason why God rested on the seventh day after creation. Even while creating, he would stop and appreciate what he has created and call them good.

The truth is that no one wants to feel as though they are going through the motions of life, we all want to believe we are doing something worthwhile, but we need to be careful that in our quest or pursuit of the "worthwhile", we do not lose ourselves in the process.

So what does it mean to stop and smell the roses? Stop and smell the roses may mean different things to different people, but ultimately it refers to living in the moment and taking time out in our busy day to appreciate life and the people around us. It is about being in the present and blocking out any distractions. This is especially important when multi-tasking is the order of the day. We get lost in trying to do everything and get the best of the day.

There are practical ways to stop and smell the roses, while there are no hard or fast rules on being physically present. It all comes to making a conscious decision to take things easy and appreciate the things and people around you.

One of the most viable is taking time off to go on a leisurely walk at the end of the day or early mornings. This should be easy for those who go for early morning or late evening runs because you can pause along the way and take in the beauty of the sunrise or sunset.

You can decide to go hiking or bush walks which is my favourite. It is amazing how much that does to one's psyche being out in the open, appreciating the beauty of God's creation and marvelling at his awesome power. In addition, being out in nature gives one clarity. There is so much freedom that can be found. You lose the sense of time and place when one is out in the open.

Being present and aware of your environment also helps productivity because you are not distracted but focused on the now. It also allows one to be connected to people quickly because you are in tune with what is happening around you. Research has shown that people who take time appreciate life and the people around them are happier.

As Christians, living in the moment also helps us not miss what God has for us now. This is because we are constantly connected to him in our spirit, man and that way, when He speaks, we can easily recognise this.

I love Psalm 118:24. This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. This verse is self-explanatory. Every day is a day God made, and when we wake up each day, it is a precious gift from God, and we owe it to ourselves to live our best life and make lasting memories.

I encourage you to make it a lifestyle daily to do anything fun that makes you appreciate God and bask in His love and faithfulness.

With love,

Victoria