Live in the moment. Lives are so complex and so full of things to do that it is easy to let moments slip by without notice. If you’re not in the moment, you’re either thinking about the past or the future. You cannot operate from the past or the future because the past is history and the future is mystery. You can be in the moment!

At any given time, you are smack dab in the middle of to do’s, tasks, burdens, problems, annoyance, and responsibilities. Moments become lost amid all the confusion and clutter.  You focus is on what needs to be done this minute rather than what you can do with the each moment. To be in the moment, you cannot be thinking about what you have done or what you are going to do.

If you are dwelling on the past, you are not in the moment. It may be tempting to think about the past because it was wonderful or awful. However, whatever the past was, it’s gone. You cannot operate from the future either because it’s a mystery. Do not spend your time fantasizing about winning the lottery. You should learn from the past and plan for your future while keeping your attention on the moment. Don’t miss what is happening now because you were too busy looking back on the past or forward to the future.

Kids live in the moment. I know the cutest little two-year-old girl. She’ll laugh or cry any time and return to normal without ever thinking about it again. She doesn’t care what happened 5 minutes ago, let alone what happened with the stock market yesterday. She’s not overly concerned with the price of gas or who will be our next president. All she cares about are the bubbles (bugs) o savoring her mouthful of fruit.

Our dog, Murphy, lives in the moment. As I’m writing this, she is in the front yard pointing at a morning dove. I’ve seen her do that for hours. She is concentrating so hard on the moment: Everything else in the world disappears. She is not thinking about what she did or didn’t have for breakfast or about her upcoming appointment at the vet. She is in the zone, living in the moment. We only need to look at children or pets for examples and inspiration of living in the moment.

Being in the moment extends the value of your life. Try to be aware of what is going on in this moment and recognize the importance. I don’t think it is possible to be in the moment all of the time. There will always be times when you think about the past or worry about the future. Build your life out of the moments you are given and be careful not to let them slip by into the shadows and become forgotten and lost forever. Within each moment lies the importance of life. With practice, you can learn to live in the moment longer and enjoy life more than most.