In Search of a Lovely Moment

There are minutes and there are moments.

Minutes are for standing in line at the grocery store.

Moments are for your child’s first step.

Minutes are for checking email.

Moments are for the quintessential glass of wine.

Minutes are for paying bills.

Moments are for screaming to the top of your lungs, “I love you!”

Minutes are the necessary work to enjoy the moments of life.

So, how can we find and enjoy moments in time?

—By Realizing Moments are Forever in Time, but Cannot be Frozen in Time The problem comes when we refuse to move on. It is human nature to revel in the moment and to hope it never ends, but while a moment can live forever in time, we cannot hope to live that moment out forever. Times change, and for a our lives to be truly transcendent, we must capture new moments.

—By Savoring the Moment, Recording the Moment and Moving on to the Next Moment The beauty of journaling, video, digital cameras and blogging is that it gives us the ability to capture the moment and then relive it in the proper context again and again. Recording special times provides tangible, concrete ways to savor the moment in a healthy way at moments such as family reunions, corporate team meetings and even at capital fundraising events. It helps us establish the stories and lore of our heritage.

Moments give us a legacy that when retold can help propel us into the future. It gives the next generation foundations upon which to build. Building blocks for the future. If there are no moments, no building blocks, to inspire and provide a foundation, building is far more difficult. And if the moments are so tightly held and revered that they cannot be given up; the possibility of growth and legacy, recruiting new and innovative workers, and dreaming real world visions becomes impossible. Moments should be and can be our future.

—By Understanding The Plateau Principle Life cannot be a series of endless moments. Our senses, our physical bodies cannot handle this.

Even the male erectile dysfunction ads warn us that an erection lasting longer than four hours demands immediate medical attention. We are not built for endless pleasure. A healthy life demands rest and mundane times of non-mountain top living.

Plateaus are a feature of nature. If you have hiked tall mountains, you know how wonderful a plateau looks. Plateaus provide time to take well deserved breathers. If life were just a series of moments, soon they would become simply minutes passing. The plateau principle teaches us that life has a natural progression of highs, lows and plateaus. The plateau time can help us prepare for the next special moment or the next crisis. The key is to take time during the breather to prepare.

Gearing up for the long haul, a natural cycle of highs, lows and breathers provides us opportunity for a well rounded and ever growing life. When we realize that mundane times are a vital part of life and business, it becomes possible to rest in that fact. We can take it as an opportunity to retool, relax, and restore the emotional aspects of our lives that are depleted during the high and the low times. The plateau provides the the perfect opportunity to refresh our emotional stability.

—By Realizing Minutes are what make Moments Special Moments without minutes would be non-existent. The very essence of a moment is the culmination of minutes.

Many people and organizations forget this foundational fact. The investment of the mundane meetings, e-mail, and standing in line are necessary to lovely moments.

I have worked with people who only want to live in the moments. Those who desire to lead the performance but not the rehearsal. They love delivering the talk but not spending the proper preparation time for to present it. However, the time spent in the mire of minutes makes the moments come alive for those who are in the trenches.

Maybe that is why so many leaders and executives I know continually search for satisfaction and fulfillment. Maybe the truest fulfillment comes from the seemingly endless minutes leading up to the moment. The enjoyment of the journey leads to an indescribable celebration of the moment when the destination finally comes.

Question: What is a lovely moment you have experienced?

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26 responses to “In Search of a Lovely Moment”

  1. Edward Paz Avatar

    Great post Randy!

    A recent “lovely moment” that comes to mind was Friday, March 25, 2011.

    While my wife and I were having lunch, she looked across the table and told me that she wanted her life to count. She expressed that she supported the call of God on my life to one day plant a church, and she said that she wanted to do it together!

    It is truly a “lovely moment” when an ambitious husband is affirmed by his wife in regards to God’s call on his life!

  2. Jeff Goins Avatar

    I am reminded of the movie Angus, in which the main character’s grandpa is bent on having his “moment” – at the end of the movie he has his (as does his grandson), and now it’s time to go have another.

    Thanks for the post, Randy. Here’s to the next moment!

  3. Randy Elrod Avatar

    Thanks, Jason!! I love this… “Minutes are to be lived in while moments are to be lived for.”

  4. Jason Avatar

    Amazing post bro. Minutes are to be lived in while moments are to be lived for. Gotta keep a balanced focus on that or I might miss something amazing, or dwell on something ordinary.

  5. Chuck Harris Avatar

    i’m having a hard time recalling moments as of late. of course my children have many moments, but let me share one from this past week.

    someone had given me tickets to the Wilco show in Houston last Friday. i really had noone to go with. i didn’t have my kids that weekend, so i asked if i could take my 14 year old daughter to the show. so i took her out of school on Friday and we headed to Houston for a day of Freebirds burritos, bookstores, record shops and finally the concert. the concert was brilliant. one of the best live bands i have ever seen. but there was a moment when Nels Cline the guitar player was sustaining this amazing note and he put his hand out to the side as if to say, “yeah, this sustain is completely amazing, you should be blown away.”. then he launched into the next part of the song and my daughter looked at me with a big smile and said, “that was so cool”. i couldn’t have shared that with anyone else. i was telling my mother about it on Sunday and she said, “are you suprised? she’s her daddy made over”. just a wonderful moment for me to remember. amidst all the chaos, God gives us, “that was sooooo cool”

    1. Randy Elrod Avatar

      @Chuck Harris, Ah, Chuck. You just made me tear up…So precious!! And yes, Wilco is definitely one of the best live bands EVER!!!

  6. Jan Owen Avatar

    I also wanted to say Randy that I have struggled my whole life with this concept. I struggle mainly with feelings that are close to depression after really big moments – such as coming home from a ministry trip or after all my kids go home after a holiday or following a retreat I have led. The road back to “normal” is hard for me – I feel restless and useless doing mundane things. I wonder if part of this is due to the fact that my job for so long involved the attempt to “create moments”. I struggle to rest in the ordinary things. But just today I got up and had some time alone for the first time since the tornadoes struck our area – as I journaled and prayed I got very overwhelmed emotionally and even felt hopeless. (It has greatly impacted our family in several ways.) After I finished praying I knew I needed a break from the emotion so I headed out to lunch and read a book – it helped me decompress.

    I am anticipating a moment on my anniversary this year in June. My husband bought a bottle of Sparkling Ice Wine (champagne) for that evening! yay!

    1. Randy Elrod Avatar

      @Jan Owen, Congratulations on your anniversary! And I relate to your feelings about the road back to “normal.”

  7. Jan Owen Avatar

    Recently, when I was last in Rwanda I had just taught on worship as spiritual warfare, a topic I feel very inept at covering well. Afterwards, my translator and friend wanted us to “practice” some of what we’d learned and she led the pastors and church leaders to in a time of spontaneous prayer of thanksgiving for all the times God had protected them and spared their lives – in times of war, during the Genocide, in spite of famine and disease. All around me people prayed out loud, wept and even shouted out to God – all in a language I could not comprehend. Yet I could feel the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit moving among us and despite the language barrier it was a moment I will never forget.

    1. Randy Elrod Avatar

      @Jan Owen, Incredible moment!! Thanks, Jan.

  8. Tony Alicea Avatar

    My recent lovely moment was a few months ago when believing I met the woman of my dreams through my blog, I met her for the first time in person and it completely confirmed that fact. Wedding bells are afoot. :)

    1. Randy Elrod Avatar

      @Tony Alicea, Wow!!!! Wow!!!!!!!! Congratulations!! That is awesome, Tony.

  9. Kyle Reed Avatar

    recently it was moving into my new place and realizing that I am now deeply entrenched in Nashville and I love it. That I have “made it” here and am supporting myself with my business. I still remember walking into a empty place and just standing at the door smiling. I will always remember that moment.

    1. Randy Elrod Avatar

      @Kyle Reed, Awesome, Kyle!! I am so glad you are here!!

  10. Rob Rash Avatar

    Right on… such a good reminder that our days can and must be filled with both minutes and moments.

    Although, we’d all rather focus on the moments. Here are a few of my favorite moments:
    1.) Seeing my wife walk down the aisle.
    2.) Seeing my kids born.
    3.) Hearing the pure joy and laughter from my babies.

    Thanks for the reminder Randy!

    1. Randy Elrod Avatar

      @Rob Rash, Rob, your list brings back so many moments for me in a rush! Thanks!

  11. PER Avatar
    PER

    without a doubt, the quintessential moment for me is each time i rediscover the small of my wife back.

    beyond that, i like keiths comment above, and I will take it to its inverse and then back again. when moments lead to minutes….its tough. expectation is interrupted. the extraordinary slips into the ordinary. like when a friendship suffers a setback. i’m learning that forgiveness might be the second best ‘moment’ one can imagine. recreation of a different sort, if you will. it takes courage, imagination, creativity to forgive. and hard work sometimes. it takes none of the above to dismiss.

    thanks for the posting randy, well written and excellent.

    1. Randy Elrod Avatar

      @PER, Thanks, so much!!

  12. Larry Yarborough Avatar

    Listening to my high schooler tell stories about this weekend’s senior prom and how he was voted by the faculty to receive the award for “Most Likely to Rule the World”. Realizing his position in my world will change in a matter of days when he leaves for college and that our relationship will morph into something strangely new for both of us.
    LY

    1. Randy Elrod Avatar

      @Larry Yarborough, Yes, Larry, I have walked that road twice now before you and what you are describing is a pivotal and memorable moment!! Thanks!

  13. Sarah Hubbell Avatar

    Doing yoga on the boardwalk at dawn feeling the warmth of the rising sun and the sea breeze and listening to nothing but the sound of the ocean. I was seven months pregnant and that moment carried me through a painful c-section recovery months later since I could instantaneously close my eyes and bring myself back there.

    1. Randy Elrod Avatar

      @Sarah Hubbell, Wow! That is awesome, Sarah! Truly a moment in time to revisit again and again!

  14. Keith Jennings Avatar

    Beautiful post, Randy!

    I’ve found that, at times, minutes can emerge as moments. And would-be moments can be wasted as minutes.

    What I mean by this is that there are times I’ve been hammering and sawing away at the workbench of creative writing and find myself in a moment of pure joy. I’ve also looked back on would-be moments I could have had with my kids, but blew it because I was treating it as minutes.

    1. Randy Elrod Avatar

      @Keith Jennings, Great observation, Keith. That is so true!!

  15. Adam Avatar

    After my son learned to talk hearing a broken I love you Daddy! It was a great moment for me. I can never hear it enough.

    1. Randy Elrod Avatar

      @Adam, What a beautiful moment, Adam!