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Relishing Enchanted Moments
Author: Dr.Barbara Becker Holstein
That is a great question. I think you are talking about those special times in our lives when we feel so alive and filled with a real feeling of personal well-being. They are the times that we really don't want to end. I often call them 'Enchanted Moments. 'We can’t ever have enough of them. I know I have found myself having more Enchanted Moments and enjoying life's little pleasures more fully as I have found ways to better recognize and relish good times. Let me share some of the ways to do this, by first sharing with you an Enchanted Moment--yet at the same time an ordinary moment on an ordinary day in the life of a regular person--so you can get a sense of what one is like. One that comes to mind happened to my colleague on The Enchanted Self project, Doreen Laperdon-Addison, and her daughter.
They were visiting the beach with a friend and her little boy. Doreen had this to say about the experience, "It was a beautiful sunny day with crisp air and blue skies. We took off our shoes and put our feet in the water, which was cold, but exhilarating. My friend and I sat on the sand talking while the kids dug holes, made sand angels, and chased seagulls. Watching them brought back memories, not only from my youth but also from my teen and later years. There was a feeling of freedom and exhilaration that only a child can experience. I realized I was in the midst of an enchanted moment and, using all of my senses, I mentally deposited these images and sensations into my memory bank for later use."
The ordinary experience of going to the beach was transformed into a special memory for Doreen. When she deposited it into her memory bank, the experience was in an enhanced state, combining older memories with positive aspects of her present life.
Enchanted memories are different from everyday memories because they have a rich layered quality, derived from a variety of positive memories, sensory images, and present day attitudes about the experiences themselves. Not only are these memories joyful, they are also very meaningful.
Would you like to practice finding and enjoying more Enchanted Moments? Here are some ideas:
Play-date with Enchantment #1
This exercise involves making positive deposits into your memory bank. Over the next few days, stay alert to when you are in a good mood. Try to use all of your senses to experience the present more fully, especially when you become aware of a ‘potential deposit’. When the moment is right, ask yourself the following questions:
What is going on?
Does it remind you of other good times in your life?
Can you list several of these earlier events?
What were the best parts of these earlier experiences?
Take the time to describe them, perhaps writing them down or dictating them into a tape recorder. Now gradually refocus your mind on the present.
What are you seeing?
What are the aromas?
What are the sounds?
How do these sensations make you feel?
Try to be aware of the details, taking the time to savor them as you deposit them into your memory bank. If writing or dictating a narrative does not come easily to you, try drawing a picture, writing a poem, or composing a tune. Just do something to capture the moment in a way that is most meaningful to you. Your abilities as an artist, writer, or composer are less important than your desire to relish life.
Play-date with Enchantment #2
This exercise is about withdrawing positive memories from your memory bank. No matter how dysfunctional one's life is, each of us has experienced moments that were good and possibly inspirational. To fully appreciate these memories, we sometimes need the courage to let go of their dysfunctional aspects, revising them to emphasize positive elements. Scan your memory bank for a memory. Let go of any negative feelings around it, focusing on its inherent beauty and the good things that may have come about afterwards. Relish whatever part of the memory that has some enchantment. Use your senses.
How did your body feel?
What were the sounds and aromas?
What did you see?
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Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein , originator of THE ENCHANTED SELF®, a method of bringing delight and meaning into everyday living, invites you to view her new line of ENCHANTED WOMAN products, downloadable e-books, and free gifts at http://www.enchantedself.com. Chat with others in Dr. Holstein's e-group, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/encself/join, and sign up for her free e-group at http://www.enchantedself.com. Order her book, THE ENCHANTED SELF: A Positive Therapy, or the CD-rom or tape version and her book RECIPES FOR ENCHANTMENT: The Secret Ingredient is YOU!, or the ED-rom version, at http://www.enchantedself.com/ordering.htm
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