Magical moments? What is that, you ask? Some synonyms for magical are enchanted, fairy-tale, charmed, exquisite, thrilling, dreamlike, mystical and supernatural. A magical moment in time could be any one of many wonderful experiences in our life. Often they are firsts: our first kiss, our first time down a ski slope, the first moment your mom or dad let go of your bike and you rode on your own. Here’s a secret—magical moments can happen anytime you want them if you take the time to savor what you are doing.
But that can be hard for many of us when we are really busy and feeling stressed out about something big—like a wedding! You might miss the magical moments if you don’t slow down enough to realize how great an instant is. So how can you make each moment enchanted and charmed? Here are five steps to bring more magical moments into every day up to and including your wedding day.
Step 1: Stop and smell the roses.
Slow down! Stop to reflect on why you are getting married. Oh, right, I am getting married because I love being with my partner! How magical is that thought? I am excited about the wedding ceremony and the party with all of my friends and family! Another magical thought. Yes, thoughts are magical moments and you can have them anytime you want if you stop long enough to relish them. Stop whatever you are doing to give yourself a moment to take pleasure in the experience. At your appointment with the florist, stop and smell the roses. Figuratively and literally enjoy smelling the roses in the shop, enjoy selecting the flowers and designing your bouquet—make the visit to the florist exquisite!
Step 2: Connect—with yourself.
Why would I need to connect with myself—I am with me every second? Actually it turns out that often we are disconnected to ourselves. We go on autopilot and ignore our thoughts and feelings and miss the magic moments. If, instead, you are present to yourself, you will find many opportunities for charmed moments. What I mean by having presence to yourself is being conscious and aware of how you feel—right now. Have presence to what is happening in your physical and emotional experience. Ask yourself: How is this moment impacting you? Is there magic in what is happening this instant?
Step 3: Connect—with people you meet.
How does connecting with others encourage magical moments? Well, often we loose touch with our ability to connect with others deeply. We interact with people but we forget to appreciate them and we forget that how we behave impacts their experience. Give your full attention to whoever you are with and let them know you care. When we allow the wonderful feeling of gratefulness to permeate us, that is a magical experience for ourselves and for others.
Step 4: Connect—with your partner.
Hold hands with your partner to be. Be present to them, show them your love and listen to them. What are you each most excited about? What are you each most afraid of? Connect by sharing your thoughts and connect by giving them a hug or a kiss. Make a magical moment in time happen everyday with your soul mate and you will feel richer and have a better relationship right now and forever.
Step 5: Celebrate—everything.
Hurray, you sent the “save the date” cards! Let it be enough! Don’t rush to the next “to do” item on the list. I forget all the time to celebrate. As a healing perfectionist, I am someone who gets big things accomplished with barely a pause before I’m off to the next big thing. I know how easy it is to get bogged down in all that must be accomplished by a deadline. There are endless things to do for your wedding: the caterer to call, the florist to meet, the dress to buy. So try celebrating whenever you check something off your list. Celebration is an often-overlooked method to create a magical moment. Celebrate everything you can think off.
In case you don’t believe that having magical moments is important, there is one BIG reason that appeals to even the most A-type person—you are so much more effective in everything you do when you are present to the wonder of the moment. You learn more from the moments, you deepen your relationships with others, you have greater impact on others, and you simply achieve more of what you want.
So don’t miss the magical moments day-to-day up to your wedding. Take a new approach to life and to your wedding planning—practice being present to each wonderful moment instead of living in a frenzy of party planning lists and anxiety. And don’t miss the moment of the wedding itself! Are you going to be present to that amazing moment when you make your vows to your beloved? And will you be aware of the magic of each wedding toast made with so much love by your family and friends? I wish you endless magical moments!
XOXO Rachel
