In the moment.

Technically, we are always “living” in the moment because there is nowhere else to live other than each moment of every day. That usually is not where our mind is though. Most of our lives are spent concerning ourselves with future events that haven’t happened, or recounting the past.

I got the opportunity to do something that 99.9% of the population will never attempt, let alone accomplish on June 17th of this year. I ran in a 32-mile ultra marathon in the Big Horn mountains outside of Story, Wyoming. The race location was some of the most beautiful scenery imaginable. We were gaining and descending all day. At the highest point, we were right around 9,000 ft. eventually ending at around 4,000 ft. in elevation. It was a muddy mess that tested my resolve, to say the least. I slipped and fell over a dozen times, tweaked my knee, and at the end of the race had to throw away my shoes, socks, and compression shorts because they were so caked with mud and filth that they were unsalvagable.

Those of you who know my journey, know that I have come a long way from someone who was pushing the scales at almost 300 pounds three years ago. While I think my accomplishment up in the Big Horn mountains is a testament to my determination, I am not telling you all of this to brag. I have learned the importance of finding a balance between being humble and proud. I wasn’t going into this race trying to beat a certain time. I was just happy to finish. More than anything else I wanted to prove to myself that it was something I could do. That mountain was littered with exceptional individuals. Just being willing to sign up for an event like this tells you a lot about someone, but there were just as many people who finished the 50 and 100-mile race. Those folks were up in the mountains for over 24 hours, with no sleep, all heart and grit. There is always something more, that next step. The path to progression never ends. I know it won’t for me.

I am sharing my experience because during the eight hours I was traversing the Big Horns, my mind wanted to do everything it could to take me out of the moment I was in. I am sure that was mostly due to being uncomfortable and tired. When you push yourself to extremes, the mind goes into survival mode, and part of coping is taking yourself out of the moment. But during what would seem to be one of those defining moments I will be able to recount and tell stories about for the rest of my life, I found myself asking, why do I just want this to be over?

I think we are more apt to live in the moment when we are comfortable. Examples would be Christmas around a fire, vacation on a beach, and gatherings with family and friends that we love. We all are very present-minded in those scenarios. Don’t get me wrong, absolutely savor those comfortable moments every chance you get. But I think it is just as important to be present during times that are hard, times that are uncomfortable, times where you experience pain, and times that test your patience and resilience.

Life is a beautiful mess that is mostly hard and uncomfortable. Be just as present during the difficult times and don’t take them for granted. It is in those moments that we truly experience what it means to be human.