Living in the present . . .

 “…the present moment is the only moment we ever have in which to be alive”

~ from “Coming to our Senses” by Jon Kabat-Zinn

This seems on first reading to be a no-brainer, doesn't it? I’m sure most of us would nod our heads ‘Yes’ in agreement without hardly a second thought! So the questions I find myself asking are, “Why then do I spend so much time focusing on that which is not the here and now? Why is it so difficult to actually be fully in the present?

The triumphs and joys of times past, and yes, the failures too, are always there ready to occupy our thoughts. The ‘what ifs’; the ‘why didn't I’; and the ‘if only I had thought of that’; are always there ready to engage our attention.  We can live and re-live our memories of the past a thousand different times with a thousand different scenarios, and a thousand different outcomes . . .but nothing really changes. They are what they are!

OR instead, we look ahead . . . thinking about the next vacation perhaps, or how we are going to finally get the best of Aunt Sally at the next family gathering, or surely our life will be better, more interesting, more commensurate with who we really are once we have that new house, that new car, ________ [or whatever … you fill in the blank].

But to paraphrase what Kabat-Zinn says in the opening quote, this very moment is really all there is. So why do we not grab onto it and participate in whatever it has to offer us.

Anyone who has practised Mindfulness Meditation will be able to attest both to how difficult this is and yet how easy and rewarding it can be. As the mind becomes quieter, the senses become more active. Being able to pull yourself into the present moment allows you to have a fuller and richer experience of all each moment has to offer and to be fully present to those who share that moment with you.

And so I sit here at the window, pondering this mystery as I look out at the snow-covered yard sparkling under a cold January sun, trying to immerse myself in this moment that will never come again