This moment is the only one you are guaranteed to experience. That is a fact. Why do we spend so much time avoiding the only time we are guaranteed? The number of reasons is as wide and as varied as people in the world. Some are caught by the nostalgia of yesterday. Others are living for the next moment, tomorrow, next week, or next year ignoring what is happening. It is essential to understand the present moment and enjoy living in it to enjoy your life.

Notice Your Breath

The easiest way I have found to get myself into the moment is to learn to watch my breath. Breathing is one of our body’s only functions, both voluntarily and involuntarily. Left to its own, a person will breathe without a thought because oxygen is required for life. But the same function, when under observation, can bring a person into the moment and allow them to become conscious of it. It is as simple as thinking, “I am breathing in”  as you inhale, and “I am breathing out” as you exhale.

The depth of your breath has many functions to bring more oxygen to your body, brain, and heart and to allow your physical system to run more efficiently. It will also get you into the now, this moment, which is the only one we have.   You can do this silently by yourself and see the results at any time and in any place.

The Value of This Moment

You only have one life to live, a relatively short experience, and you should outlive it to be consciously aware of most of it. In the present moment, all decisions are made, and your life will be defined. If your mind is focused on the past and regrets old actions or on how good things will be tomorrow when this or that happens, you will miss the things you have to experience right now.

If you can be focused on and try to experience what is right in your life, happiness is there waiting for you. Even if the moment is hard, painful, or contains something you don’t want, it still provides the only experience you can have. To wish away or ignore the challenges is to wave away the living you are gifted in this life. Focus on your breath, and see what is happening right before you.

Be Creative

All people can be creative, and creativity will naturally bring you into the present moment. If you are practicing true creativity, there is no other place you can be. Painting, drawing, carving wood, planning a garden, working on a new invention, or making your workplace more efficient. All creativity will bring you into the present moment and allow you to experience the only time you have available to you.

Even if you are not good at something, you can still experience the present moment by pursuing it. People are often put off practicing creativity as youths because they are often told that their pursuits are excellent, but they can’t make a living. But making a living isn’t the point, and living your life is. Do not take criticism about your ability in creative pursuits personally. Create whenever the mood strikes you.

People Connect You to The Present

Every person you come in contact with in life provides an opportunity to be in the moment. Each conversation, short or long, shallow or in-depth, is an opportunity to be here in this moment. Please focus on the interaction and seek its value, and there is always value. If nothing else, then understand other people or yourself better. Paying attention to the words we speak and, even more importantly, the things we hear from others will provide guidance.

Nature Brings The Moment Alive

Getting yourself out into a natural setting will allow you to come into the present moment. You can’t help if you remove yourself from the electronic noise, get into the woods, or sit by.

The ocean, there is a connection to the now created, and you will be living in the present moment, which is the only time you can have right now.

So much of our lives are filled with noise. My generation was raised to have the television on all the time and today’s youth live life attached to a phone, mindlessly scrolling through their lives on social media. There is no chance to be in the moment if your mind is on the past, the future, or in an unconscious state of muddled thought.

Take time to practice connecting with the present moment each day. The activities I recommend here are 1. Notice your breathing. 2. Value the moment. 3. Be Creative. 4. Connect with People. 5. Spend time in nature. 

This is the only moment you have, and all things happen at this moment.