I think the people who emphasize ‘mindfulness’ are speaking to an audience who needs to hear it. These are the ‘worriers’ who do not appreciate the present-day little things – mostly because they are too wrapped up in worrying about the ‘what-ifs’ and too busy catastrophizing the future. Learning how to avoid that focus is wise and is exactly why learning mindfulness is important.

On the other hand, too much of any good thing is just that – too much. If a person never looks forward to the possibilities and simply hangs out in present time, years down the road may involve more regret as they realize that what they wanted out of life never came to fruition. It is not really a great idea to dwell on the past too much, hang out in present time without forethought, or live in any imagined future (good or bad).

My personal advice is to always have goals and aspirations, even if half are never realized. Break down gigantic goals into tiny, more manageable pieces so nothing seems overwhelming. Appreciate every step you take toward your goals and enjoy every journey.

If you set out to walk a journey of thousand miles, for example, realize it takes every step to accomplish that goal. Have fun when the days are easy and joyful but buckle down when every step seems like drudgery or, worse yet, painful. In my worst moments, I have simply set a goal to get to the next day (or next minute). If I really believed, however, I had nothing to look forward to past those difficult moments, I would have given up. I believed in my own future, even when I had none and even when I chose ‘in that moment’ not to think about it.

Just stopping and taking a breath, staying in the present moment, is very beneficial.  When Covid hit the media and everyone was so fearful, I found it particularly effective to stop and stay present.  I’d ask myself, “What is happening right now?  Okay, I’m sitting in a chair.  Everything in my home is peaceful.  Music is playing.”  It is far better to be get into the present moment than let the mind gallop off with a load of “what ifs” that might never happen!