In Mary Taylor’s upcoming Spring EcoKitchen column, she writes about the “Allure of the New”—the impulse to move onward and upward, simply for the sake of moving, without really knowing where we’re headed or what we want. Well, like most other 20-somethings with ambition in this country, I’m guilty as charged. At any given moment, I catch myself fantasizing about moving to Barcelona or publishing the next great American novel…constantly preoccupied with dreams and the excitement of success rather than focusing on my life as it is, right now.

This weekend, I saw The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, a movie based on Elle editor Jean-Dominique Bauby’s autobiography, which he wrote after becoming fully paralyzed by a stroke (he dictated the manuscript by blinking his left eye—the only movable part of his body—for each letter of the alphabet). Talk about feeling locked-in, unable to move or even plan for the future. But somehow, the movie isn’t depressing. Director Julian Schnabel’s imagery (a woman’s hair blowing like fire from a convertible, a dark street lit by blue neon, the ocean…) makes each moment important and vivid. It reminded me that I don’t have to rely on the excitement of the future to feel awake and alive—there’s plenty to be interested in right now in my everyday life. So today, it’s snowing. Redford is whining on his orange cushion in the corner of the office. I’ll go home and make scrambled eggs with mushrooms for lunch. And then…who knows?

And speaking of new and exciting…elephant’s website is now updated daily—check regularly for the latest blogs, videos, comments and news from the mindful life. Find something worth sharing? Email us if you’d like to share a thought or become a blogger. ~ Heather Mueller, editor