The coffee had gone cold, but she didn’t notice—until her daughter reached for her hand.
Maya had a meeting in twenty minutes, a half-written report, and three unread messages blinking at the top of her screen. She stirred the cup absently, mind already halfway into tomorrow.
Across the table, her daughter sat silently, coloring the same flower over and over again.
Then, out of nowhere, the small voice:
“Are you here, Mommy?”
It stopped her.
Not just the question—but how long it had been since she’d asked herself the same thing.
Was she here?
Or was she living in a future that hadn’t happened yet?
The Present Is Always Asking for You
The ancient instruction is simple:
Live in the present moment.
But simplicity isn’t always easy.
Our minds are time travelers—constantly spinning stories about what could happen or what already did.
We miss what is because we’re haunted by what was or anxious about what might be.
But the only thing ever truly happening is this:
This breath. This heartbeat. This exact moment.
Everything else is noise.
What the Science Says
Research from Harvard psychologists shows that people spend nearly 47% of their waking hours thinking about something other than what they’re doing—and this mind-wandering is strongly associated with lower happiness.
The takeaway?
We’re rarely where we are.
And it’s making us quietly miserable.
But mindfulness—just the act of noticing what’s happening right now—can reverse that.
Studies show it reduces anxiety, improves focus, and increases emotional resilience.
No incense. No retreat. Just attention.
Maya’s Gentle Return
She put the spoon down. Closed the laptop. Looked at her daughter and said:
“Yes. I’m here.”
They colored together for six minutes. That was it. No grand moment. No emotional breakthrough. Just presence. Quiet. Real.
And later, when the meeting happened, Maya was calmer. Clearer. Like her mind had remembered how to breathe.
It wasn’t the flower. It wasn’t the time.
It was that—for once—she hadn’t missed her life happening in real time.
If You Want to Be More Here
Pause and name something in front of you. The mug. The light. The sound.
Feel one breath fully. Inhale. Exhale. Just that.
Let go of the next thing. The email can wait. The thought can float.
Anchor in the senses. Sight, sound, touch—they don’t exist in the past or future.
Ask: Where is my mind right now? Where are my feet? Can I bring them back together?
Because the future isn’t happening yet.
And the past already ended.
But this moment?
It’s still waiting for you.