I don’t make blog posts as much as I would like because it has proven difficult to cultivate an entire post that I feel is worthy of sharing, but I recently came by some advice that I found enticing.

I saw a video the other day of a man emphasizing the importance of patience and acceptance of living in the moment. It struck a chord with me because, like many others, I find myself anticipating the future, caught up in the idea that one day you’ll have the life you’ve always dreamed of, but forget that the magic lies in the here and now. It’s easy to forget that we are exactly where we need to be, even if we haven’t quite obtained all of the things we yearn for.

Recently I’ve been struggling to find the motivation to get back into the gym. I keep telling myself that one day I’ll have the body I’ve always wanted, but that one day will come around and if I haven’t spent the time and energy to obtain said body, then that elusive “someday” that I keep anticipating will never arrive. The only thing that really exists is the now, this very moment. Reminding myself of this truth is challenging but essential.

The man shared the example of getting stuck in traffic. How annoying it is and how it’s so easy to let something as simple as that ruin your day, but he then reminded that, “No one said there wouldn’t be any traffic.” This mindset can be applied to all aspects of life. Who said that this wasn’t supposed to happen? You can no longer control the situation, so instead of succumbing to misery and being antsy, waiting for the next thing to happen, stop and simply be present. Adopting this mindset requires effort. It means releasing the need for things to align with our expectations, because life simply does not abide by those rules.

If you’re too busy constantly waiting for the future, you’ll miss all of the amazing little things that are worth experiencing now.