By now, you may have picked up on a common refrain across many of my posts: That happiness lies in the present, which is why we should aim to live in the here and now. Sadly, however, many people live only for a better tomorrow. Then, when tomorrow comes, their focus is still on the future.  There's nothing wrong with being forward-looking and continually aiming to achieve goals. But unless one takes time every now and then to appreciate the present -- to come up for air and smell the roses, so to speak -- they will always find themselves in a state of yearning rather than contentment. For example, some people have an insatiable appetite for acquiring material goods, whether they be clothes, shoes, gadgets, and cars. No sooner do they get their hands on one than they already set their sights on their next conquest. They may leave the item collecting dust, rendering it obsolete in a few years. In essence, they're all about the chase. Once what they want is in their...

Today is the oldest you've ever been, and the youngest you'll ever be again . So said Eleanor Roosevelt, the longest-serving First Lady of the United States. You needn't harp on the past or stress over the future. Why?  Because you have little to no control over either one. The past is the past and cannot be undone. What lies ahead is, of course, a big question mark: even if we do things today to help shape a better tomorrow, we really can't foresee what lies on the horizon. Things may go our way, as planned, or they may not. That being said, what is there to do then? You got it. Focus on the present. Mindfulness means embracing in a non-judgmental way what's currently unfolding in your life. You neither cling onto nor reject the present; you simply accept it. We aren't getting any younger, which makes living for today all the more important. Don't shelve your goals for another day; start on them right now! You don't want to wake up one da...