Right now, as you are reading this article, it is the “present” moment.  This priceless prize goes unrecognized by the great majority.  Today is a gift that will not be repeated.  To live and dwell in the “present” moment is an art that escapes almost everyone.  Yet, each moment well lived brings better and happier tomorrows.  The very word itself, “present”, implies a gift and is always welcome.  Everyone loves getting a surprise!

Think of where your thoughts are.  Do you spend time reliving your past, perhaps anguishing over mistakes and/or circumstances?  Do you worry and fret over future events that have not yet unfolded, but which you greatly fear might happen?  At night, instead of peacefully entering into slumber, are you plotting and planning your next day, week, month, or year?  Then know this, you are wasting your precious time!

When you dwell in the past, the only thing that you can change is your attitude towards what has come to be. Lying in bed fearing the future will only give you bad dreams.

We try desperately to control and understand our world, yet the extreme difficulty in this endeavor is that we live in an ever-changing world.  We cannot control the events that are occurring; we can only cope with them from a serene center within our heart and mind.

However, you might be thinking, it is impossible NOT to stew over past events, or to be apprehensive towards what might come. Realize that thoughts are things.  How you think is what determines your moods and energy levels.  Yes, it is necessary to have a life plan, and yes, it is important to remember the past only so as not to repeat errors in judgments.  All things in moderation apply here.  To live your life consumed by the past or the future is unhealthy, negative and unproductive.

You can be the master of your thinking and turn your life around.  As you go through the day, practice being aware of thoughts as they arise and subside in the mind.  See them for what they are.  Catch yourself when unproductive cycles start. For instance, if you find yourself thinking about how wrong an action or circumstance is, simply observe that thought is an “energy” that is arising in your mind at that moment.

Do not try to “judge” or “condemn” it.  Do not say it is right or wrong.  Just observe. Are those thoughts and that “energy” a reality that you are consciously aware of, or just something flowing through the mind? If there is a difference, then think about it. Does your body feel different, or do you feel “numb”?

All it takes is a little practice to make changes in your life.  As you do so, you will find that though old habits and patterns may persist in your consciousness, they become background noise as you begin to experience them from a more empowered and positive place within yourself.

Stop yearning and pining away your wonderful life energy.  There are numerous ways to learn how to become a master of your mind and emotions.  Journaling is a powerful tool of self-expression.  I have used it often during times of growth in my life.

Faced with seemingly insurmountable difficulties and challenges, I poured my heart out on the pages of my personal journal.  Sometimes I would write every day and soon enough the solution presented itself into my life.  Even back then, I was aware that I did not want to waste my valuable time in useless circles of unproductive thought patterns.  Journaling is an excellent way to learn how to stop obsessing over past or future events.

If your life is consumed with worry, fear, and mental wandering, then your very life force energy is being sapped from you in order to feed your negative emotions.  Learn to harness your life force energy and direct it in a positive direction.

It is possible to learn how to be at peace with uncertainty.  Discomfort and difficulty cause us to focus on all the things we cannot control over how they will turn out.  Developing the courage to face uncertainty is a necessary step on your journey to life mastery.  Learn to live in the NOW moment, but trust that it will come around again.

Learn from your past and plan for your future.  But always remember, the only thing you can control is how you think and feel about what you are doing right now.  The present moment is where everything is happening!

Dwelling in and around the past or future involves a form of contraction, which means that we are not allowing ourselves to be here and now right now .  This is not how evolution works; it requires expansion of our thoughts beyond what we can control into a great ocean of possibilities.

A power tool beyond all others is meditation.  Peace and power can be established with a quiet and disciplined mind.  There are no shortcuts, drugs, or drink, which can provide the mental stability induced through the magical and motivating mind that meditates.  Meditation is the only way to establish a peaceful mind.

The present moment is all that there is.  So what are you waiting for, “right NOW”?  Appreciate and relish the “gift of NOW”!  It deserves your full attention, thoughtful consideration and grateful attitude.  This very moment has been given as a precious gift to you; why not fully experience it?

In fact, we should all do our best to “place” ourselves in the present moment as much as possible.  At the very least, we should understand that there is only “now”. And if we can’t maintain focus in the present moment, then we’re not doing a good enough job of living our lives.

Teach yourself, find a teacher, read good instructional books, or simply begin, right now, in this present moment, to understand this simple yet life-changing concept.  Your thoughts create your reality!  Have a good day and may peace walk with you on your life’s journey.