Harriet Beecher Stowe, 1811–96, American novelist and humanitarian, author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin once said almost the same thing, “the past, the present, and the future are really one; they are today”.

We all know many people who spend one half of their day, ruminating on the past and the other half worrying about the future; leaving no time to enjoy the present where everything happens. How can such people get ahead in life? People from all over the world have made countless discussions on the subject but it does not seem to make a difference. Most of us are still everywhere but in the present.

As the saying goes, if you do what everybody does, you will get what everybody gets! Make a difference, and live in the moment, in the present, today. It will help you achieve more, become a better person and live a happier life, a life without anxieties or worries.

Today is all you have, there is no guarantee that you will live to see tomorrow and there is not a thing you can change about the past. Motivational Speaker and Author, Dennis Waitley puts it so beautifully in one of his books:

The past is a cancelled check, the future is a promissory note, but the present, the present is liquid cash.

Living in the past, thinking about it all the time may bring a lot of disquietude and bitterness into your life. No “amount” of “coulda, woulda” can change a thing. Whatever happened, happened, get over it, the sooner the better it is for you, because it will give you more time to focus on what’s important: today! The past is only useful in one way; it is when it allows you to learn from your experience so as not to repeat the same mistakes in the present.

The best attitude towards the future is to leave alone until is gets here. One important thing to know about it, is that it is a bridge we can only cross when we get there. There is nothing wrong about big dreams about your future. Actually it is good thing, only if you understand that what would make you achieve them always happens in the present. All you can and have to do about the future is to visualize what a great one looks like, believe that it is possible, make a plan and start working on it now, in the present. The best way you create the tomorrow you want is to prepare for it now, right here.

Always remember that Today is a gift and that is the reason why it is called the Present. Some of the great benefits of living in the present are the facts that:

– It allows you to enjoy everything more, including life.

Have you ever had a great meal without being aware of its taste? This can actually happen when you are distracted by thoughts about the past or the future while eating

– It Allows you to concentrate better and be more productive.

We all know someone who is “Jack of trade master of none”; this happens to people who are always attempting many things at the same time but eventually get nothing done. I agree with Bob Proctor when he says in his book It’s not about the Money that multitasking is one the biggest fallacies of our generation. There is no such thing as multitasking, your mind can only handle and concentrate on one thing at a time.

In a final analysis, I would recommend that you practice and eventually develop the habit of living in the moment, it will improve many aspects of your life. Not only will you have better results on whatever you are working on, but you also build better relationships. When you deal with people and you give them your undivided attention, they will appreciate you more, be they customers, family members or acquaintances. This idea of focusing on the present can be very easily implemented until things go not so well. When that happens look for what it is good and build on it, focusing on what’s wrong will only deprive you of the energy and concentration you will need to move on.

I will end with a beautiful saying: “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away.” However no moment will take your breath away if you don’t live in it.

What do you have to struggle with, if you do, to live in the present moment? Please share your thoughts…