Why spend your life thinking about the next thing, when you could experience moments that take your breath away.

So often I find myself being caught up in the future and trying to be perfect instead of enjoying the moments and the miracles that are right in front of me.

With the New Year coming up (holy cow can't believe it's going to be 2017) I was thinking about, as most of us do, some things I would like to work hard at changing in my life. Looking back on this year, there were many ups and many downs with many things that I would like to change but the one thing that stuck out to me through all of it was that most of my problems steamed from not being content or satisfied with my life at the moment. My future is full of unknowns and a lot of fear comes with that. Financial stability, finding a job, maintaining relationships. Getting caught up and honestly obsessed with the future can lead to dissatisfaction in all areas of your life which then leads to missing out on all that life has for you in the exact moment you are in. I have witnessed first-hand what living in the future rather than the present can do to your whole mental state. You feel drained, are filled with stress and worry, and your relationships with people suffer.

The root cause of living in the future is from trying to be perfect. The reason I obsess over the "what's going to happen in the next moment" rather than being in the moment is because I want that next moment to be perfect. I want to make everything in my life perfect when in reality nothing is ever perfect. But I've come to found that when living in the present, you can have perfect moments. You can have brief pauses in your life that fill you with so much love, joy, and happiness. You can make deep connections with people where bonds between each other can be formed. And that's perfect. That's beautiful.

"Most humans are never fully present in the now, because unconsciously they believe that the next moment must be more important than this one. But then you miss out on your whole life, which is never not now. And that's a revelation for some people: to realize that your life is only ever now" - Eckhart Tolle

It's okay to think about the future. It's okay to dream. Yes, have big dreams and make big plans! But when it becomes an objective to be perfect or full of worry and fear that's when it becomes a real problem. When you feel yourself slipping into that dark area where your future is all you can think about, close your eyes and take a deep breath. Then open your eyes and realize the world around you and all the ways you can experience it to it's fullest.

My New Years Resolution is going to be to live in the present. Now is all WE have and time is so precious. So, let's embark on this journey together!