As the waning days of December passed I found myself clinging to the feeling that time is moving too quickly . . . that it’s a precious resource that there is never enough of or that doesn’t last. Much like money, if not spent wisely, it can slip through your fingers with nothing to show for it.

Fortunately, those melancholy thoughts did not persist into the New Year, in fact, with the turn of a fresh page of the new calendar, I suddenly felt energized and renewed and ready to start taking advantage of the promise that a new year represents.

Regardless of our intentions, or the length of our To-Do lists, time cannot slow down for anyone. Now that I am officially half-way through my first year of an overseas internship, I know how fast time passes so I am going to try and soak up every minute from this amazing experience from this day onward.

The most profound shift for me is going to be my relationship with time. So instead of the never-enough mentality, I am going to think of it as an abundant commodity simply by focusing on being in the moment and appreciating those I surround myself with.

This new attitude will hopefully find its way into my teaching practice and the learning experience I still have before me.

• Focus on the Now – Being in the moment takes a conscious effort to not let your mind wander to what needs to be done next, or what could have been done differently in the past… but instead, recognizing that the most valuable lessons are right in front of me – now.
• Be Engaged — A child’s interest and sense of discovery is more vibrantly enhanced when interacting with that child fully by engaging him or her with undivided attention free from distraction or tension.
• Listen Fully — A mentor’s advice is more valuable when immediately put into practice right alongside them and participating fully. If it’s a conversation, listen carefully to what is being said and focus on the message and the present moment; not on your feelings or something that happened in the past or may happen in the future.
• Express Gratitude — Your appreciation of a friend, co-worker, mentor or student will be more meaningful when you express those feeling of gratitude now versus sometime in the future (or never at all).
• Savor the Experience — I want to savor every moment of the remaining school year because I know these days won’t come back again. I want to make the most out of this experience so that I can truly learn from it and continue to grow and succeed!

Although this New Year, like every other, still has 365 days, my goal is to make each one count by enjoying every moment of this round trip around the sun!