Our mind is full of wonder and endless thoughts, sometimes to the detriment of our well-being; but living in the past or future doesn’t allow us to live in the ‘here and now’.

Thoughts of the past or future can elicit good or bad feelings depending on the thought itself.Those thoughts can cause us to feel anxious, worried, stressed or if it’s a positive thought we might feel excited, happy or content.

I personally like my positive thoughts either created from past experiences or created in the here and now.

Our present moment allows us to create fond memories and future realities

Did you know that it is theorized that 40% of our genetic makeup determines our happiness?! This means that 60% is determined by what we are exposed to—meaning we have the power to determine how happy we want to be. Being mindful of the fact that the present moment is where you are in time, and where you can make the most of your life is essential to discovering that elusive feeling of happiness.

We chase the idea of happiness by the beliefs of acquiring material things, achieving goals, finally taking that vacation we planned for, or essentially arriving at a destination that we believe will bring us happiness.

By focusing on our present moment, we can be the creator of our reality and achieve the life satisfaction we desire.

How so?

By nurturing our well-being.

Our physical, social, mental, workplace and societal well-being. When we nurture our well-being, we release feel good hormones such as endorphins, dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin and this improves our mental health. By being present we can shape and create a reality that leads to better life satisfaction.

Knowing this, how will you show up differently in your daily life?

Let’s start with eliminating the need to blame others for your happiness or lack thereof. Blaming your significant other, your friend, a coworker, spouse or even your waiter makes you a character in their story. You have allowed the words, actions, or inactions (expectations) take control of your thoughts, feelings and potential actions surrounding this being. Why give so much power to someone else? Your power resides in your ability to not be influenced by the actions of others. Trying to control or expect other people to change to meet your needs sets you up for a cycle of disappointment. Your happiness is dependent on YOUR actions, choices or in actions.

YOU can create your reality, take back your power and write your own memorable story—one that brings life fulfillment and the best out in you.

How do you get there?

Here are a few examples of how to nurture your well-being in your daily life:

• Going to the grocery store and treating yourself to a healthy meal, glass of wine and a savory dessert.

• Preparing your favorite morning cup of Joe just the way you like, basking in the aroma and appreciating each sip.

• Exercising until your heart rate reaches 150BPM (or whatever is optimal for you) so you can relish in endorphin euphoria (ahhhh!)

• Taking a morning walk and watching the sun rise, while the warm rays from the sun hit your skin and your body releases serotonin.

• Believe it or not but you can find a treasure chest for your mind by clearing clutter from a drawer, cabinet or even your closet. It’s as if it frees some space in your taxed mind.

Moments like these are the moments we should be mindful of as each one of these moments evoke ‘feel good’ feelings. If you believe that arriving at a destination will bring you happiness, you will always be looking for that ‘next destination’. This is not to say that future or past moments can’t evoke good feelings—they most certainly can. However, being mindful of the present moment allows us to have feel good moments more often and potentially avoids the feeling of regret. When we are mindful of our here and now our power to create a meaningful and fulfilling life is infinite. When we are not mindful or present, we potentially miss an opportunity that leaves us with regret. And the regret you experience should be viewed as a teacher for future behavior; it should propel you to change your behavior moving forward.

Final reflections

Remember you create your own memorable moments. As you flip the pages of your life story does it demonstrate that you were your own creator in the series of your life moments? Does it show a life full of satisfaction or unfulfillment? As you reflect if you find that the moments of your life have been unfulfilling–CHANGE IT. The power to change your life is already within you. But it requires you to be more mindful, present and intentional about what you choose to focus your energy towards.

What steps can you take today that will empower purposeful change in your life story? Give voice to your thoughts below!