Quotes for Making the Most of Life~ Live in the Moment

Copyright ©2011 Stephanie Henkel

You may have never thought about the concept of living in the moment but chances are you've heard some of the old sayings about living life to its fullest. Some of the quotes about living in the moment are funny, others more serious, but they are all food for thought. Here are some favorites:

Warning: Dates in Calendar are closer than they appear. ~Author Unknown

We all can attest to that! Contrary to popular opinion, old age does not creep up on us — it runs up to us and jumps on our backs! It stiffens our knees, hobbles our feet and blurs our eyes and muffles our ears!

Wasn’t it just last week that we were complaining about our 2 year olds getting into everything? And today our grandchildren are graduating from college and making wedding plans! How the heck did that happen?

You will have fewer regrets in old age if you live in the moment now. Do you sometimes put aside mundane chores so that you can take the kids on a spur-of-the-moment picnic or a hike through a beautiful park? Or did you spend the day cleaning house? What’s more important today? The clean house you had for a few days or the memories you share with your children of the time you spent together enjoying nature? In fact, what memory of your childhood do you cherish most? It’s probably not the memory of Dad mowing the lawn or Mom mopping the floors.

Remember the years before retirement? Were you waiting impatiently for the passing of time, putting off vacations and fun activities until later so that you could enjoy retirement more? You will never get that time back. That we all have to work for a living is a truth. That we can still enjoy living in the moment is also a truth. Sit out in the back yard or patio in the morning to enjoy a few minutes listening to the birds sing. Spend a Saturday morning at the farmer’s market enjoying the sight of the bounty of fresh vegetables and fruits. Take a thermos of coffee and a couple of donuts to the lake or beach and watch the sunrise or sunset. Dates on the calendar are closer than they appear! Too soon the days slip away.

Those who make the worst use of their time are the first to complain of its shortness. ~Jean de La Bruyère

Don’t think about your job, but your life outside your job. How many hours have you spent doing things because someone else thinks you should? If you love those endless committee meetings and get a kick out of listening to the insurance agent talk about annuities for an hour, by all means enjoy! But if these kinds of things are draining your time and energy and are leaving you little time to do the things you really want to do, it’s time to reevaluate what really matters.

There are black holes in life that suck the minutes and hours out of your existence leaving you with no time for the impromptu joys of picking wildflowers or throwing a stick for your dog or contemplating the meaning of rainbows and butterflies. If you wish to live more in the moment, get rid of some of the black holes from your life. Be flexible. Don’t be afraid to recalculate your life to include a day at the beach or a few hours enjoying music that you love.

Is there life before death? ~Author Unknown

Ahh, good question! Death can come to any of us at any time, but life is in the here and now. Savor that piece of chocolate or glass of wine with your significant other. Stop to look at the late afternoon light on the snow or the newly washed trees after a rain. Grab the precious moments and look at them.

Life is not lost by dying; life is lost minute by minute, day by dragging day, in all the thousand small uncaring ways. ~Stephen Vincent Benét

There’s no doubt that there is drudgery in life. Sometimes it’s part of your job. Sometimes it’s just the chores of daily living.

Many people work long, hard hours at their jobs, and come home to cook, clean and care for their families. It can seem like an endless grind unless they take the time to enjoy some little pleasures each day. Do a job exceptionally well. Make someone smile with a complement or joke. Take a half hour each morning to watch the birds while having that first cup of coffee. Take a walk or call a friend at lunch time. Buy yourself flowers and take time to enjoy them. Use the good china at dinner.

Lost time is never found again. ~Benjamin Franklin

Old Benjamin probably meant that we should do something productive with our time every minute. Productive is in the eye of the producer! You can feel good about yourself if you spend the afternoon weeding the flower garden. You can also feel good about yourself if you read that good book that’s been sitting on your shelf for months.

Spend the afternoon. You can't take it with you. ~Annie Dillard

Ahhhh… How many people hoard their time as if they could save it up? “When I have time, I’ll call my friend for lunch.” Or “I don’t have time to play with the children now, but I’ll do it next week.” or “Someday when I have time, I’m going to read that book, paint that picture, lie in the sun, enjoy my flowers, watch the birds, write a love poem.”

And now, that friend passed away and the children are grown. What did you do instead of these important things?

Be happy while you're living, for you're a long time dead. ~Scottish Proverb

This proverb is just another way of saying, "Life is short. Don't waste your time being miserable." We all know people who make it their life's work to be unhappy, who hold grudges, dwell on misery, enjoy complaining about their every ache and pain and hardship. What a waste of life!

You only live once; but if you live it right, once is enough. ~Adam Marshall

Fear can keep us from doing so many things in life. Fear of being hurt, fear of losing face, fear of losing power, fear of losing money. Don't let fear keep you from trying new things, making new friends, seeing new places. You only live once!

Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is the special occasion. ~Author Unknown

My mother-in-law always told me, use your good stuff (china, crystal, jewelry…). You don’t want to save it for your husband’s second wife! She was very wise in knowing that life is short, and that having "stuff" is not as important as enjoying it.

Time is precious and can only be used once. Spend it by living each moment as it comes.

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#3  Quotes for Making the Most of Life ~ Live in the Moment