I’ve been noticing something about myself lately.

My mind is constantly thinking about something other than what I’m actually doing.

I can be right in the middle of one thing, but in my head I’m already thinking about what I need to do next, something that happened earlier, something I need to remember later, or something I’m trying to figure out.

Have you ever noticed how often your body is in one place while your mind is somewhere completely different?

You can be drinking your morning coffee while mentally going through everything you need to get done. You can be taking a walk while replaying a conversation from yesterday. You can be having dinner with someone you love while worrying about something that might happen tomorrow.

We’re physically here, but mentally we’re somewhere else.

And lately I’ve been reminding myself of something very simple: This moment, right here, right now, is my life.

Not the thing I’m waiting for. Not what I’m going to do tomorrow. Not what I wish had happened differently yesterday.

This. Right here.

Your Life Is Happening in Ordinary Moments

Of course, our minds are supposed to think about the past and the future. We need to remember things, make plans, solve problems and think ahead.

The goal isn’t to stay perfectly present every minute of the day. I don’t think that’s realistic—or even necessary.

But sometimes we spend so much time thinking about what happened, what’s coming next or what needs to get done that we barely notice the moment we’re actually living.

And most of our lives are made up of those moments.

The cup of coffee.

The drive to work.

The dog sleeping at your feet.

The conversation you’re having.

The sunlight coming through the window.

The few quiet minutes before everyone else wakes up.

None of these moments may seem particularly important while they’re happening. We tend to think of our lives in terms of the big things—the vacations, celebrations, accomplishments, milestones and changes.

But those aren’t most of our lives.

Most of our lives happen in the ordinary moments in between.

And if we’re always mentally rushing toward the next thing, we can miss a surprising amount of our own life.

This Is Also Where Happiness Lives

We often attach happiness to something that hasn’t happened yet.

I’ll feel better when this gets resolved.

I’ll relax when I get everything done.

I’ll be happy when I have more money, lose the weight, take the vacation, get the answer, reach the goal or finally figure everything out.

There’s nothing wrong with wanting things to change or looking forward to something.

But when happiness continually lives somewhere in the future, we can spend years chasing it without noticing what is already good.

There may be something good happening right now.

Something beautiful.

Something peaceful.

Something funny.

Something you love.

Something you once wished for.

And sometimes the only thing required to experience it is to actually notice it.

The Present Moment Is Where Your Power Lives

There’s another reason I think coming back to the present matters so much.

Right now is the only place where we can actually do anything.

We can think about yesterday, but we can’t change it. We can imagine tomorrow, prepare for it and worry about it, but we can’t live it yet.

Our power is here.

This is where we can take a breath.

This is where we can change a thought.

This is where we can make a different choice.

This is where we can say something kind, put something down, go outside, move our body, call someone we love, notice something beautiful or decide that we don’t want to carry a particular thought for the rest of the day.

We don’t have to figure out our whole life in this moment. We only have to decide what we want to do with this moment. And then, when the next one comes, we get another choice.

Come Back to Where You Are

One of my favorite quotes from Eckhart Tolle is: “Wherever you are, be there totally.”

There is something so simple about that.

If you’re drinking your coffee, drink your coffee.

If you’re walking outside, notice where you are.

If you’re talking to someone you love, really listen.

If you’re watching the sunset, watch the sunset instead of thinking about what you’re going to do when you go back inside.

We don’t need to make ordinary moments extraordinary.

We just need to be there often enough to experience them.

Try This: Come Back to Now

A few times today, pause and ask yourself: “Where am I right now?”

Then actually look around.

Notice what you can see. Listen to what’s happening around you. Feel your feet on the ground or the chair underneath you. Notice the temperature of the air, the light in the room, the sounds nearby or whatever you’re holding in your hands.

Then ask yourself one more question: “Is there anything good in this moment that I’m not noticing?”

Maybe there is. Maybe there isn’t.

You don’t have to force yourself to feel grateful or pretend everything is wonderful. This isn’t about denying problems or ignoring things that need your attention.

It’s simply about coming back to the life that is happening right now.

You don’t need to meditate. You don’t need to clear your mind. You don’t even need to stop what you’re doing.

Just come back.

And when you realize five minutes later that your mind has wandered off again, come back again.

That’s the practice.

Because your life isn’t somewhere out there waiting for you to finally get everything figured out.

It’s here.

In this breath.

In this conversation.

In this cup of coffee.

In this ordinary Monday morning.

In whatever is happening around you right now.

And maybe one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves is to stop rushing past so much of it.

Be here now. This moment is your life—and it’s where your happiness, your choices and your power live.

With love,
Bonnie