How free do you feel? Is life passing you by? Are you in the game or a spectator?

So often we have been trained to ignore our “insides” and stay exclusively with “reality.” Being able to remain open to your gut feelings and to value their messages is a key to liberation. This experience of being free within the moment is the core of mindfulness and of real healing. Instead of managing or controlling the moment so that nothing surprises you, why not choose to live with the understanding that each moment is the gift of all there is?

For many of us, it may be hard to be fully present in each moment because we have so much to do. For example, when watching a movie, do you think, “I have to fold the socks?”; when driving, do you sometimes miss your exit? Or you may be so exhausted when you have down time that you can’t consider “experiencing the present moment fully.”

So often we hear of people who deprived themselves of “real” living or postponed full living while waiting for some future time to manifest. Their recitations may have been “when I retire…,” “when the kids are out of school…,” “when I have enough (fill in the blank)…” In fact, you may believe that the possibility of being fully present lies somewhere in the future and it will be highly managed and conditional when you put everything in place so that you can have it.

Take three steps today to create a deeper, more meaningful life:

  • Be mindful about the “busy-ness” you are creating in your life. Use your heart as a barometer to know when to say “yes” or “no.” Does saying “yes” make you feel heavy or light? Un-clutter your schedule.
  • Practice “sacred time” for yourself. Take a “time out” for at least five minutes each day. Breathe deeply and pay attention to your breathing. It reflects your life.
  • Give your full attention to what is occurring in each moment. Notice what is going on within you.

Use the next few days to try this out!

In essence, the gift of the moment is always with you. It is you who might be absent from it.