Too many people are so focused on their “future” that they totally forget about their present. We learn from our past so we are able to function accordingly in the present. So why are you skipping this moment, right now, to worry about tomorrow, next month or next year?

I’m going to tell a brief story and speak from personal experience for second: many, many years ago when I was still a teen, I used to be a lifeguard. I lifeguarded at pools during the summer. It was quite honestly the best job you could get – sitting out in the sun all day, talking to new people, playing with kids, swimming and getting paid for it. Now sure, there’s that little thing where you need to be certified to be a lifeguard (which I obviously was) and make sure people didn’t drown (which I did) – but it was a small private townhouse pool and you didn’t have many, if any incidents taking place. For such a chill job, my mind would race all day – it didn’t matter what it was about but it was racing. I was a teen so it went from friends, boyfriends, plans, parties, parents, etc. The thing was that they were never good thoughts – they were always questioning thoughts. My mind was never at peace. Here I was getting paid to just hang out all day and get a tan and I couldn’t manage to enjoy the moment because my mind was always busy being somewhere else.

Feel the moment you’re in right now. Bad, good, or indifferent – feel it. Take it in, breathe it out. This moment won’t happen again. Listen, take it all in and enjoy it. I wish I could truly verbalize this in a better way because it’s such a lesson in life that we all miss. Even I missed it for many many years. I’m thankful however that my journey finally brought me to a point of instilling this in me. Every second I spend with myself, my dog, my family, friends, clients, strangers – I take it all in. Every word, glance, feeling that happens. I look at myself from the outside looking in and I think ‘what do I want to take from this very moment’, ‘what do I want to remember once this moment is complete.’

I was fortunate to experience death at a young age. Yes, I just said “fortunate”. No, I don’t mean that in a terribly evil way – I mean that in a ‘yes it was hard, yes I cried for the person and I still miss them to this day, but I’m grateful that I had to deal with something like that young because it taught me something so important.’ Losing people close to you teaches you to appreciate the time you spend with others when you’re alive. It teaches you not to take anything or anybody for granted. It taught me a slew of other lessons, but this one I really like to stress because it makes a lot of hard things to deal with in life much easier. It taught me to cherish those I spend time with, even if you’re with the person for an hour, a few minutes or every day. It taught me to look at relationships of all kinds in life differently. That we won’t be here forever, but the time we’re here is meant to be enjoyed. The time we’re here is meant to be lived. The time we’re here is meant for teaching as well as learning. The people we connect with, we’re meant to connect with. The people we meet, we’re meant to meet.

Live this mantra. Carry it into your household, your families and your lives. Feel the moments your in. Don’t allow your mind to wander, dwell or question. Remind yourself each moment is meant to happen with the people it’s meant to happen with. These people won’t always be around, cherish them. Collect their words, as they are lessons for our souls. Breathe through your days and don’t rush them along planning out your future days. Allow the world to work for you, not against you. Allow yourself to stay in the present, as that is where you are and is where you’re supposed to be. You are exactly where you need to be, right now, at this very moment. Take it in and let it flow. It’s beautiful, isn’t it? Sometimes I just sit alone to be still. I look around at my surroundings and really notice them. It’s funny how different things look when you’re rushing past them. It’s funny how a whole room can change when you actually observe it. Your tomorrow could be taken from you if you lose appreciation for your present. I learned this from MY past and lessons are meant to be passed along.