Reflection: We had the great joy of closing out the summer by hosting our 9 year old grandson for a couple of days at Waskesiu Lake.

The weather on the front end was less than ideal. Too cold to swim. To rough to take out a canoe, a paddleboat or a kayak. No matter.

It was perfect for beach combing – given all the flotsam and jetsam that the gale force winds tossed up on shore.

And, as Ethan walked along the beach, eyes glued to the sand, each of his discoveries was accompanied by an expression of delight.

Snail shells. Fish hooks. Odd rocks. Dead minnows.

“Heh, look over here! How cool is this? Is that awesome or what?”

And, of course, each find had to be picked up and closely examined before being added to the collection of treasures to be hauled back to the cabin. Two dead minnows included!

Unfavorable conditions – in this case, the weather – were NOT going to put a damper on this young fellow’s spirits, or interfere with his ability to find delight at every turn.

Action: The stroll along the beach led me to wonder if, as adults, we’ve come to take a few too many of life’s happy accidents for granted.

An open table on a busy night at our favorite restaurant. A parking spot on a crowded street. A friend with a free hour for coffee and a chat. A key bit of info that shows up in our lives just when we need it most.

“Heh, look over here! How cool is this? Is that awesome or what?”

What are you saying to yourself as you make your way through your day? And how might a few more expressions of delight make your experience that much better?

Quote Of The Week: Only when your consciousness is totally focused on the moment you are in can you receive whatever gift, lesson, or delight that moment has to offer. – Barbara de Angelis

Resource Of The Week: You might enjoy this article, Five Ways To Stop Overthinking. It offers strategies to prevent overthinking from robbing us of the gifts of the moment.

Readers Write: In response to an earlier Pause message, The Powerful Impact of Powering Down, reader RS writes:

When I happily managed to quit smoking, I continued the practice of taking many short breaks throughout the day – sometimes, just walking from one end of the building to the other would suffice.

I had so many stunning revelations and great ideas during my walks that I long ago began carrying a pen and a note pad to jot them down. As an added bonus, I’ve also lost a great deal of weight and significantly improved my fitness.

Powering down has indeed had a powerful impact on my life.