You are not living in the future. You are living now. But sometimes, it is hard to tell the difference. We spend so much time fussing, worrying and preparing for what is to come so that we can be comfortable later on. But by the time we get there, we’re already jumping ahead, focusing on the next thing. We never get the chance to enjoy the moment we have been preparing for, even though it was all we could think about for so long. As Walt Whitman said, “Happiness [is] not in another place but this place…not for another hour, but this hour.” 

There is nothing wrong with wanting the best for yourself down the road, but if you want to get somewhere, you don’t have to waste right now to do it. You can still sit back and look at the stars, or take a break and talk to loved ones. You can go for a walk, journal about your day or just sit and listen to music. You don’t always have to be busy. It isn’t impossible to be productive and accomplished while remembering to absorb each moment. And you should, because this moment is the only one of its kind you’ll ever get to experience. What is the point of searching for happiness in the future if you never get to be happy right now? That’s the point of all this hard work, isn’t it? To be happy sooner or later? 

Every moment should be cherished, good and bad – not ignored, forgotten or wasted because of something that hasn’t happened yet. You can choose where you want to go, but first, you have to choose where you want to be right now. When you look back on your life, you’ll realize that it was more than what’s ahead. 

Just wait a second; you don’t know what you’ll miss.