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

According to Deepak Chopra in Quantum Healing, bliss is a state where healing takes place. It is an old Ayurveda  term that refers to a state of being where awareness is heightened and self knowledge is attained.

This always seemed a bit out of reach for me--until I read that to understand bliss, one must be present in the moment. I'll admit it, I've read that a few times and self-righteously scoffed at those who spend their lives dwelling in the past or romantically dreaming of a future that they are unwilling to work towards. I thought I lived in the moment.

I was wrong. You see, I confused living in the present with living in the moment. Many of us "live in the present" and have mastered the art of releasing the past. What we haven't done well is learn to live in the moment. We blame it on our face-paced lives, our many commitments and our quest to reach our goals and dreams. We are bound to the modern concept that the prize lies at the end that the first person to get there wins. It doesn't.

I decided to give this new concept a try and make a concentrated effort to "live the moment". I consciously brought my thoughts back to the moment as soon as they strayed. It was harder than I expected. Not because controlling your thoughts is difficult, but because it goes against everything we have been taught.

I was surprised to learn how much of my day is spent ignoring the moment and looking either forward or backward in time. Instead of enjoying breakfast, I found myself reviewing the things I needed to do as soon as it was done. While writing an article, my mind wandered to the next one I would write. When I took the dog out, I found myself hurrying him so I could be on to the next task on my list. Instead of enjoying the moments of my day, I was rushing through them--cruising onward to the next and the next as though I would suddenly find some magical prize.

This morning, when the dog and I ventured out for a morning walk, I resisted the urge to rush on to the next task in my day. I listened to the robins sing and felt the gentle spring breeze against my face. I watched the return of the hummingbird as he arrived at dawn sipping nectar from my feeder in silent bliss. The goldfinch flashed his brilliant yellow as the sun's rays painted the horizon and I heard the quiet rustle of the wind.

Cultivate the habit of living "in the moment" as you strive to reach your dreams, never letting the vision of the future overpower the joy of the moment.

Today, I am grateful for an amazing Universe that provides for all our needs, for the mighty God who brought it into being and for the blessings I have received.


I am grateful to live amidst nature--for country roads, meandering brooks and creatures large and small. I am grateful green grass, unfolding leaves and brilliant blue skies. 


I am grateful for the goodness of people and their desire to help one another along the way. I am grateful for family and friends that make my life rich, for pets that bring added warmth and for gardens that just now begin to grow.


And, I am grateful for you, dear reader, as you stop to share my day. May the moments of your day be filled with bliss as you learn to live in the moment while creating the path to the direction of your dreams.