Saddled with a to-do list filled with pressing matters from getting her rescue poodle, Dolly, groomed to volunteering at the East Harlem Food Bank, while also not wanting to miss out on the precious experience of life itself, multitasker extraordinaire Tabitha Mulvaney of New York City does not have time to stop and smell the actual roses but emphasizes that she gets the idea.
“I’m a huge believer in the present moment, mindfulness, etcetera, etcetera,” said Mulvaney, while unwrapping a whole-food fruit-and-nut bar for an on-the-go snack. “Even when I’m not in a position to put it into practice literally, it informs my every action.”
Mulvaney went on to explain that although she is not generally in a position to do so herself, there is no bigger proponent than she of stopping and smelling the roses. “The fragrances can be magical and even therapeutic, from what I hear. Kind of like aroma therapy. Very healing.”
She elaborated that staying in touch with the present moment is a most certainly a priority for her - if not at the top of her to-do list, onsistently on it. “I make a point of regularly checking in with the here and now, even if I don’t necessarily find it helpful to linger there," she said. "Everything in moderation."
For that reason, Mulvaney encourages people to make the most of the time that they have by cramming into the present moment everything they possibly can. “Whether that includes flower-smelling or not isn’t really the point. It’s about noticing and experiencing and making the most of what we’ve got.”
With that said, Mulvaney highlighted the need for caution when it comes to stopping and smelling the roses ."There’s all this romanticism about the delicate beauty of roses, but leaning in too close poses a risk of being pricked by thorns. People need tto bear in mind that smelling the roses could come at the price of their own blood.”
