How to be here now
We know living in the present moment has benefits. We worry less about the future, cease dwelling on the past, and are more fully present with ourselves, the world, and those we love. But what does it mean to live in the present moment? How do we intentionally tap into the magic feeling often referred to as "presence"? One effective method is the "Last Time Meditation," an ancient Stoic technique. This practice involves intentionally imagining that whatever you are doing, it might be the last time you do it.
Think about all the things you will experience for the last time. Of course, there will come a day when you die, and everything will be done for the last time, but long before that day comes, you will stop doing certain things that you don't give a second thought to now. Instead of being a depressing way to think about life, this perspective illuminates the specialness of everything, even the things you don't like. When was the last time you looked into your dog's eyes, got the mail, washed the dishes, or made love? We do everything a finite number of times, yet we often take beautiful moments for granted and spend the rest of our time just trying to get through things. We rarely actually enjoy what we are doing. Even when we want a meal, we are typically simultaneously eating the food we've just put in our mouths while preparing the next spoonful. We rarely "do one thing at a time." We are always preparing for the next thing, wondering what we will watch, do next, or do tomorrow. Many plan vacations near the end of their last vacation to keep the feeling going instead of enjoying the holiday they are on.
We don't know how long we have, but each time we do something, whether pleasant or unpleasant, it's one more time we'll do it. There will come a time when we will have done something for the final time, and we will rarely know when that is. For example, I used to love skateboarding, and I last did it over a decade ago. Will I ever skate again? I can assure you that the last time I put down my skateboard, I was not even dimly aware that it might be the last time. When was the last time you swam in the ocean, went camping, or took a walk to take a walk? As you go about your week, consider that everything you are doing is like this; everything represents a finite opportunity to savor your life.
On some level, everything is precious, and if it doesn't seem that way, paying more attention can make it seem that way. Attention is a source of wealth, even more than time. Because you can waste time being distracted. So, I urge you to approach life differently. Pay a bit more attention when you meet someone for the first time. When you thank someone for something, mean it a little more. Connect with your life, and mindfulness is the tool that allows you to do this. The only alternative is to be lost in thought. Whenever you notice you're lost in thought about the past or the future, and you consciously come into this moment, here and now, you are training your mind and spending more time where it matters.