Living in the Moment - A Simple Truth

It has taken me a very long time to figure this out. We have to live fully in the moment... this very moment. The moment I am writing this entry or the moment you may be doing something entirely different. The rest of our lives will depend on what we do right now or what we choose to put off right now.

What I am saying makes perfect sense. At this very moment, each of us has a goal, something we are trying to do. That goal may be very significant or not very important in the larger realm of things. Whichever is the case, that is our goal. To successfully complete the task, we need to be focused on the immediate task. We need to be aware of whatever it is we are doing, for in some cases our very lives may hang in the balance if we don't. Until we have finished the job at hand, all else has to be on the back burner. Then, we move on to the moment at which we turn to the next item on our list of things to do.

Of course, our lives are never that cut and dried. In reality, our lives seldom travel in a straight line. If necessary, when we have to make adjustments to our game plan because our realities or circumstances change, we do so. However, even when we have to change course because the wind has changed course, that only proves my point. The moment that the wind changed direction, we have to make a decision. We have to adjust our sails or risk having our lives momentarily capsized. By living in the moment, we are constantly aware of what is happening to us and around us. That awareness enables us to get through the moment in one piece and to move on to whatever happens next. In my mind, that is one definition of success.

There is always an element of uncertainty in whatever we set out to do. We are never guaranteed that our plans will turn out exactly as we have laid them out. That there will be glitches is the rule rather than the exception. The only thing that matters is that we are sufficiently alert and aware, so that we are not blind-sided.

I am not saying we don't need mid-term or long-term goals. We do. But we live our lives one day at a time, one minute at a time... one moment at a time. If we stumble at any point along the way, the best laid of plans can be at risk. It is that focus, awareness, commitment and flexibility I spoke of that will enable us to navigate the moment just ahead. Maybe if we are very fortunate and all other things are equal, we may even come to realize some of the most important goals in life.