As I am writing this, I feel tired but content. As I wonder about what to write, I am thinking about how I would rather be in bed on this chilly—yet sunny—day here in the Chicago suburbs. (When it is chilly outside, I love being inside with my cozy socks on while snuggled in a favourite blanket.) Then, I thought about how I am wishing I was somewhere else. And, that is the topic of this blog post: Why wish to be somewhere else? After all,  when you get there, you’ll wish you were someone else yet again. How can I re-train myself to want to be where I am right now? I learned and absorbed the concept of being in the present moment in improv training at The Second City in Chicago in the 1990s. The object of an improv scene is not to control the scene and direct others to exactly where you want the scene to go. But, rather, you must allow the scene to unfold. One of my favourite improv teachers and a Second City legend, Martin deMaat, would say that improv is “very zen.” When I find myself wishing and worrying, I can recalibrate and … Continue reading Feeling Grateful For This Present Moment