Press Pause

Hi Everyone,

Last night, I caught the end of the movie 'Click' with Adam Sandler. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0389860/plotsummary

I have seen the movie before and remembering it to be quite entertaining, I decided to watch the last 30 minutes.

For those of you, you don't know the film. It is about a husband and father, who is stressed at work and is finding it hard to spend time with his family and build his career. He goes to a store on day, to buy a universal remote and find one with 'extra' features!!!

With this new remote, he can fast forward his life. So he decides to fast forward parts of his life (arugments with his wife, promotions at work, time with his parents, kids etc). This all works well until, he realises that he is no longer in control of his life, the 'remote' is!! When he gets a chance to rewind to the parts of his life that he has fast forwarded, he sees himself with his family, he is there in body, but his mind is elsewhere. At the end, as he is dying, he says to his ex-wife and grown up kids, that he hardly recognises 'Family comes first'

When I first saw this movie, I felt sorry for him after a while. but on watching it this time, I was able to see a connection between Adam Sandler's character and my life and the lives of many other people.

How many times, have you fast forwarded through life in order to meet your work commitments?
How many times have you rushed through family events or cancelled them, because you have other 'more important' things to do?
How many times, have you been to visit your parents, but your mind is elsewhere and you hardly engage in any conversation?
How many times, have you focused on your next promotion and once you get it, you focus on the next one?

I know, I used to be guilty of these!!(I sometime slip back into old habits, but the difference is now, is that I can catch myself doing it and then I stop it)

There are parts of my life, that I don't remember. My sister Michelle asks me regularly, if I remember certain events, parties, conversations etc, and some I can't even recall!! I was there, but only in body!!!

A few times in my life, 'life' was in control, not me and when life 'pressed pause', it was rather painful!!

A book that helped me to learn how to'press pause' is 'The Power of Now' by Erkhart Tolle. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1577314808/bookstorenow57-20

Erkhart states that most of us live in the past or live in the future, but we need to learn to live in the 'Now', to live in the present!!!

His book helped me to see where some of my unhappiness was coming from. I was not even taking time to celebrate the successes I had sacrificed so much for!! I had either been worrying about things that had happened or worried about things that had not happened yet. Does this sound familiar?

I suggest that you take control and 'press pause', because if you don't life will step in and press it for you!!!!

What have you recently fast forwarded?
When has life, 'pressed pause for you?
If you were to 'press pause now', what would you start doing?

One of the things I do now, is call my mum and speak to her everyday (one of resolutions).

I also spend quality time with friends and family. I left London over seven years ago and even though I visit at least once a year, it is a world wind trip. so i tend to have a dinner with all my friends at the same time. So we see each other, but we don't really catch up.

So this year, I decided to take five weeks off work in total (I worked for three weeks in between). So, I was away from home for eight weeks!!!

During my trip, I planned to see all my family and closest friends separately!!! Each day was amazing!!! We shared, we laughed, we cried, we talked about old times. I have to say it was one of the best times in my life and guess what, because I was in the 'Now', I remember every magic moment, that we shared!!!

Press pause!! You will glad that you did.

See you tomorrow.

Gina