You just didn't have a "moment."
On American Idol, I keep hearing Simon Cowell slam contestants for not having a “moment” in their performances. Those who don’t create that “moment” are headed home and will not be The Next American Idol.
What the heck is a “moment” anyway? In American Idol, it’s about creating a feeling in a performance where time stands still and the crowd is completely caught up in that space and sensation. I say we all need have a “moment” every single day. Not because we are worried about getting booted off a show, but because having a “moment” is what each day is all about. It’s what makes life worth living, hard work worth doing, hard times worth enduring.
We can have different kinds of “moments.”
- Defining moments
- Moments of joy
- Moments of accomplishments
- Romantic moment
- A Poor-Me Moment (aka “a meltdown.”)
- Moments of fun and silliness
We need to have “moments” in many areas of life (except for the Poor-Me or Meltdown Moments.) These “moments” are what make everything else worth it. Without these moments, life just lumbers on in a monotone, boring way, feeling like nothing but drudgery and surviving from day to day. We need them in our workouts, sports, and hobbies. We need them in our family and relationships. We need them in our work and projects. We need them inside ourselves, involving no one else.
I got an email from one of my workout buddies yesterday about her moment – her Rocky Moment. She is in her 60s and has been making huge strides in her fitness and wellness. Yesterday she did her own walking workout instead of meeting up with the group. Here’s what she wrote when she reported in.
I walked a bit longer than I originally planned as I added a little to my route. I went through Samarkand [down Arden] to De La Vina. Then out to Whole Foods, then home…going up that “Rocky” hill that I had to stop on last time. THIS time I went up it at a good fast pace until the last 10′ or so where I slowed a bit to a more normal pace BUT I didn’t have to stop! Not even at the top! I walked at a slow pace for about 50′ then went back to my brisk walk. According to Gmap I walked 3.4216 miles and I did it in 63 minutes burning 535 calories!
Yay!!!!! But now I’m a sweaty mess! Ha!
That’s a great example of a moment of accomplishment, a defining moment. I can see her, with the Rocky soundtrack playing in the background. I bet she wanted to throw her hands up and celebrate like Rocky Balboa did at the top of the steps of Philadelphia Museum of Art.
We all need these in our workouts – times where we are just in that exact moment, doing more than we thought we could, going a little further, lifting a little more, lasting a little longer, or doing something we hadn’t been able to do before. What a thrill and sense of accomplishment those moments are. They make all the work worth it, and they make us want to try more and go further. They make us believe in ourselves.
I play soccer every weekend. I am not the best or youngest player on the team, but I am among the fittest. I almost never score, but I am head-over-heels in love with this game. It’s not about winning (although that does make it even more fun). I’m out there because I love it and I try to have some great moments each game – that’s what makes it so worth all the sweat and effort. It’s that feeling I got last week when, somehow, I beat a girl a foot taller than me to a head ball. Or the feeling I got doing two great slide tackles. Those moments are all mine. Every good pass, every great touch on the ball – these are my “moments.” They thrill me and make my day! I will keep playing as long as I keep having “moments” that make me feel great, like I’ve still got it.
Having a “moment” is just an absolute must in your everyday life. Those moments when you let go of all your worries and just bust out laughing. The moments of utter peace and relaxation. The times you just act goofy and have some fun. For me it was dancing and singing like a crazy woman while cooking dinner yesterday. Having a “moment” with your honey, with your family, with a friend – these are what really life is all about.
Don’t let another day pass with having a “moment.” A moment of joy, of accomplishment, of fun – where everything else in the world is just on pause for a bit and you are in that exact moment, feeling totally alive, and full of vitality, and in touch with all that really matters.
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