5/30/07: Living In The Moment

Living in the moment does not mean following every whim, desire or urge that pops up with disregard to the potential consequences. It is not an excuse, a means or a pardon to forego self responsibility and accountability.

On the contrary, living in the moment requires a full awareness of not only the WHEN (which is now), but also the WHO and the WHAT and the WHY.

A happily married man, for example, who casts aside his long-term commitment to his wife in order to satisfy an immediate urge with someone else, has not only gotten lost “in the moment,” he has also lost himself in the moment.

And the moment you lose yourself is the moment you actually step out of the moment and step in to ego.

Disregarding your deepest values, integrity and dignity is a sure sign that you are not present in the moment. Pursuing immediate pleasures while setting aside your highest principles is an act of ego, not self. And when ego is dominant, authenticity wanes. That is, who you truly are withdraws, and you cannot live in a moment in which you are not present.

When you know who you are and carry that knowledge with you into each moment, you naturally make choices that are in alignment with your core values. Only then are you truly living in the moment, fully aware, alert, conscious and empowered.