Recently, I took an unexpected journey to Lake Natoma here in California.For some phenomenal reason, water happens to be my favorite element of choice. I connect to it easily and the sight of it in vast amounts never ceases to bring me into a soothing state of being. Little did I know that it would be as beautiful as It was, but it did feed me the necessity that I needed at the time and that was to embrace the present moment.

What I am seeing and becoming more aware of each day is the power of the present and the qualities that take place in the moment given. Even in this very moment, I notice the good solid feeling of just being able to be alive and feeling the life and energy in my body flow out of me with the ease of every breath. I can sense the the still calm that is in the air and as I do this, it makes me appreciate the present at it’s simplest.

 What makes life in the now so powerful? Why is being present in the “present” much greater than placing ourselves in the future or sitting in the past?

The obvious comes to mind at these questions and that is: We have only been given enough energy to utilize for the moment at hand. We do not have the capacity to step back into yesterday and undo or redo or revamp what was once done, neither do we possess the physical transcendence to make the future of next year a reality now. Attempting to force such actions with the energy of forethought, contemplation, and reasoning completely drains the very life out of THIS moment here. Life consists in all of the inner workings of now, the breath in our body, the thinking capacities of our brain, the people around us, the noise, the still quietness in the air, the flick and twiddle of your thumbs, or the amazing meal that is being consumed. Be much afraid of losing now than you are of trying to create tomorrow today. Tomorrow will only become even greater if we take advantage of today.

What Can You Do to Embrace the Powerful Present?

- Taking a moment to think about what you are thinking about: If your thoughts are wandering in the mistakes of yesterday or even the last minute, forgive yourself and let it go. Thoughts of the past can drain the present value.

- The most important person/people in your life at this moment is whomever is around you at that time: Think about that, the MOST IMPORTANT PERSON IS WHOEVER OCCUPIES THE SAME SPACE WITH YOU RIGHT NOW. Be it just yourself, or your friend, that family member, or a stranger sitting next to you holding a conversation. Take advantage of their importance by feeding them your energy (in a positive way). If it happens to be only yourself, then YOU are the most important person right now so treat yourself fairly.

- Be Still: Being still in silence is one of the most powerful ways I believe to be ever present in the moment. If we can cut out all noise and distractions and listen in to the surrounding atmosphere, there is a great presence felt within the air. It is always there in the midst of everyday life, but we have to stop for a second.

This little guy, followed me every where.

This picture reminds of a scene possibly depicted in the Garden of Eden

The hills on the horizon were breathtaking

This was a view from the opposite side of the lake.