30 Wise Quotes about Living in the Here and Now

Look to this day for it is life,

The very life of life.

In its brief course lie all the realities

And truths of existence;

The joy of growth,

The splendour of action,

The glory of power.

For yesterday is but a memory,

And tomorrow is only a vision.

But today well lived makes every

Yesterday a memory of happiness.

And every tomorrow a vision of hope.

Look well, therefore, to this day.

~Ancient Sanskrit poem by Kelidasa

1.      The life that the dawn brings us is the only life we have. Life is in the here and now, not in the there and afterwards

~Vimala Thakar

2.      Nothing is worth more than this day.

~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

3.      Yesterday is a cancelled cheque; tomorrow is a promissory note; today is the only cash you have –so spend it wisely,

~Kay Lyons

4.      I have learned to live each day as it comes, and not to borrow trouble by dreading tomorrow.

~ Dorothy Dix

5.      Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today.

~Benjamin Franklin

6.      With the past, I have nothing to do; nor with the future.  I live now. 

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

7.      Rejoice in the things that are present; all else is beyond thee.

 ~Montaigne

8.      The other day a man asked me what I thought was the best time of life.  "Why," I answered without a thought, "now." 

~David Grayson

9.      It is only possible to live happily-ever-after on a day-to-day basis.

Margaret Bonnano

10.  Yesterday is history.  Tomorrow is a mystery.  And today?  Today is a gift.  That's why we call it the present. 

~Babatunde Olatunji

11.  Children have neither past nor future; they enjoy the present, which very few of us do. 

~Jean de la Bruyere

12.  Let us not look back in anger, nor forward in fear, but around in awareness.

~James Thurber

13.  The ability to be in the present moment is a major component of mental wellness.

~Abraham Maslow

14.  One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living.  We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon - instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today. 

~Dale Carnegie

15.  Happiness, not in another place but this place...not for another hour, but this hour.

~ Walt Whitman

16.  Realize deeply that the present moment is all you have. Make the NOW the primary focus of your life.

~ Eckhart Tolle,

17.  Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.

~Buddha

18.  We are always getting ready to live but never living.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

19.  Today is life - the only life you are sure of. Make the most of today.

~Dale Carnegie

20.  Life is a succession of moments. To live each one is to succeed.

~Coria Kent

21.  Live neither in the past nor in the future, but let each day's work absorb your entire energies, and satisfy your widest ambition.

~ir William Osler

22.  The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.

~ Buddha

23.  Life is available only in the present moment. If you abandon the present moment you cannot live the moments of your daily life deeply.

~Thich Nhat Hanh

24.  The future depends on what you do today.

~ Mahatma Gandhi

25.  The future starts today, not tomorrow.

~ Pope John Paul II

26.  Know the true value of time! Snatch, seize, and enjoy every moment of it. No idleness, no procrastination. Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today.
~ Philip Chesterfield

27.  Life is a great and wondrous mystery, and the only thing we know that we have for sure is what is right here right now. Don't miss it.
~ Leo Buscaglia

28.  Living in the moment means letting go of the past and not waiting for the future. It means living your life consciously, aware that each moment you breathe is a gift.
~ Oprah Winfrey

29.  Present-moment living, getting in touch with your "now," is at the heart of effective living. When you think about it, there really is no other moment you can live. Now is all there is, and the future is just another present moment to live when it arrives. One thing is certain, you cannot live it until it does appear.

~Wayne Dyer

30.  If you are not happy here and now, you never will be.

~Taisen Deshimaru quotes

7 More Benefits of Living in the Present

Live in the present, remember the past, and fear not the future, for it doesn't exist and never shall. There is only now.

~Christopher Paolini

You are physically here but are you really present and living now? Living here and now offers tremendous benefits:

1.       Mindfulness: Get into the flow and enjoy what you do.  You perform better with the task at hand because you are conscious of what you are doing and your mind is focused and your thinking is clear.

2.       Getting things done: Living in the present is productive. Things get done as planned because your mind is not drifting here and there. You work with full concentration and energy. There is a feeling of fulfillment and satisfaction as you cross out your to-do list.

3.       Happiness: To forgive and forget is the way to live in the present and be happy. You avoid the past to hold you back and enjoy the present.  Start every new day with happiness. When you are in the present, your mind is calm and you breathe slowly, you will feel good about yourself.

4.       Effective learning: To understand and absorb what you are reading is to be engrossed. You will spend less time but get more out of what you learn when you are fully present.

5.       Better interaction with others: You go to a movie and you enjoy it because you like it and you pay full attention. Likewise, you will enjoy it more when you fully participate in a conversation. 

6.       Creative: You will be more resourceful in getting ideas when your mind is fresh and not distracted.  A calm and relaxed mind is more likely to work better. 

7.       Appreciate the moment: One of the key ingredients of living in the moment is to go slow. When you eat slowly you enjoy eating your food.  When you take breaks, you avoid stress and regain your energy, and stay alert. You will notice more when you don’t hurry by. More importantly, you will be able to appreciate more when you take your time to be delighted by the marvels of nature.

               

Be totally aware of what you are doing, feel it, touch it, enjoy it and be happy.

Related article:

7 benefits of being present

7 Benefits of Being Present

Life is a great and wondrous mystery, and the only thing we know that we have for sure is what is right here right now. Don't miss it. ~ Leo Buscaglia

What can you do about the past and the future? Nothing much, except that the thought of it takes away the energy from what you can do now. Develop a habit to live from moment to moment. The present is the only time that you have full control to do what you want to do. Being present benefits your well-being profoundly. Think of the following benefits when you are here and now.

1. Focus: There are no distractions. Your thought is not somewhere else. Your heart and mind are on the job at hand. You enjoy what you do. You truly live in the moment.

The other day a man asked me what I thought was the best time of life. "Why," I answered without a thought, "now." ~ David Grayson

2. Listening: Are you absent-minded? You are hearing things but you are not actually listening. It is like a schoolboy who is staring at the teacher and his mind is thinking about recess. To be present is to pay attention and listen to the other person talking to you. You respect the other person when you listen with your heart and mind.

3.Peace of mind: You are not disturbed by the unpleasantness of the past or the uncertainties of the future. Your thought is about what you can do and what you want to do now.

 If you are carrying strong feelings about something that happened in your past, they may hinder your ability to live in the present. ~Les Brown

4. A clear mind: Your mind is in the present and you are not burdened by other thoughts. You think clearly, sensibly, and logically.

Living in the moment means letting go of the past and not waiting for the future. It means living your life consciously, aware that each moment you breathe is a gift. ~ Oprah Winfrey

5. Alert: Being present is being responsive. You are more aware of what is happening to you and you are able to react quickly. When you drive, your mind is on the road. While you are eating, you think of the food that you are chewing.

 6. Happiness: To avoid incessant thinking and be absorbed in the present moment like a child is to be happy. You are influenced by your thoughts. Too much thinking of the past and future will rob you of your mood to enjoy the present moment.

 Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present. ~Jim Rohn

7. More productive: You are fully conscious of what you are doing when your mind is calm and your thinking is clear. You act more decisively and you work more effectively and efficiently.

 Losers live in the past. Winners learn from the past and enjoy working in the present toward the future. ~ Denis Waitley


The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly. ~ Buddha

Life is a succession of moments. To live each one is to succeed. ~ Coreta Kent

Are you living in the present?

The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly. ~ Buddha

Are you living here and now? Perhaps physically you are here but your mind is somewhere else. Ask yourself these soul-searching questions to find out if you are living from moment to moment:

1.       Are you still attached to the past?

 Do not allow the past to hold you back. Go ahead and do what you want to do boldly without hesitation. It is a new beginning and there is a new you. The past cannot dictate what you can’t do now but you can tell yourself what you can do now.

2.      Are you worried about the future?

 Nobody knows what is going to happen in the future and it is also beyond your control. The best thing that you can do is to plan ahead but start working on it now wholeheartedly.

Unease, anxiety, tension, stress, worry — all forms of fear — are caused by too much future, and not enough presence. Guilt, regret, resentment, grievances, sadness, bitterness, and all forms of non-forgiveness are caused by too much past, and not enough presence. ~Eckhart Tolle

3.       Do you enjoy what you do?

Can you concentrate on your work? Be focus and immersed in what you do and be in the flow.  Be interested in your work and you will find joy in it.

4.       Are you looking at what you see?

The best way to look at things carefully is to go slow. Stop, look, and be thrilled by things that have escaped your sight such as the adorable cat at home or the moving cloud in the sky or the waves rushing to the shore.   

5.       Are you listening to what you hear?

Can you hear the chirping of the birds? Do you listen to the rhythm of the falling rain? Appreciate the sense of hearing and listen to the wonderful sound you may not have noticed before.  

6.       Do you savor and taste the food that you are eating?

Are you eating slowly and enjoy each mouthful? Do not eat and read newspapers or watch TV. Pay attention to what you eat and enjoy it.

7.       Do you feel the thoughts and feelings of the other person talking to you?

Be mindful and be interested in the person that you are talking to.  You can only feel

the other person when you pay attention.

8.       Can you smell the fragrance in the garden?

Concentrate on the sense of smell while you are eating or when you explore nature.

Be stimulated by the aroma to excite your senses.

9.       Are you tensed up?

Something is bothering you and you can’t sit still.  Get to the root of the problem and resolve the issue. Do not allow outstanding issues to disturb your peace of mind. Feeling happy and carefree now is to live in the present

10.   Do you know what you are doing?

Have you had this experience? You were driving on the road and suddenly you were “awaken” and without realizing what you were doing for the last couple of minutes. You are mindless and not engaged in what you do and you are not noticing things. Be safe, pay attention to what you do, and live in the here and now.

The only time you ever have in which to learn anything or see anything or feel anything, or express any feeling or emotion, or respond to an event, or grow, or heal, is this moment because this is the only moment any of us ever gets. You’re only here now; you’re only alive in this moment.

~Jon Kabat Zinn

Living in the moment

“Life is a succession of moments. To live each one is to succeed.” – Coreta Kent

Have you ever had this experience? I had. One day, when I was driving out of town, I was ‘awakened’ after driving for quite a while. Before I knew I was driving without knowing it. My mind was somewhere else.

Is your mind thinking about something else while you are working? Your thoughts perhaps are in the past or the future. All these tell us that we are not mindful of what we are doing. We are not living in the moment. We just carry out what we are supposed to do mechanically with no thought of it. When we are not living in the moment we miss a lot of things in life.

Working: Working without mindfulness means you will make mistakes. When you have too many things in your mind, it will deprive you of your focus. You are there but not your mind. The best thing to do is to write down the things that are in your mind and allow your mind to be in the moment with what you are doing

Eating: Enjoy food. Let your mind think about the taste, the aroma, and the texture while you chew each mouthful. When you eat allow your mind to savor the food as well.

Fun time: Can you really enjoy yourself while you are there but your mind is thinking about the work in the office? You have to loosen up and allow your mind to be in the moment there and then to really have a good time

Someone is talking to you: Are you listening when someone is talking to you? You are hearing the words but your mind is not there. You have to ask the person to repeat his words and that pisses him off.

Exercise: Tai Chi is an exercise that needs to be very mindful. Your mind and the movements work together. The moment when your mind is thinking of something else you will not know where you are and you will miss the movements in the correct sequence. I have found out that to reap the full benefits of Tai Chi your mind, your breathing and the movements must be in the moment.

Living in the moment or mindfulness means you intentionally pay attention to what you are doing at that moment. It brings you happiness as you and your mind are there to savor and really live and enjoy the moment.

“The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.” – Buddha