Are you a patient person?  Or are you impatient in a traffic jam, long lines at the post office, or with pedestrians who slowly cross the street?

Do you live fully present in the now? Or are you easily dragged from what is happening in the moment, to memories of the past or fantasies of the future?

One of the best skills you can develop is that of remaining patient in the present moment. When you think about it you realize that only when you are present in the moment are you in control of yourself. When you are present you are peaceful. When you are present you can choose to behave purposefully to create your best life.

I won’t tell you there is an easy button to retrain yourself to live patiently present in the now. Like any skill it takes practice and patience to master remaining present.  It takes facing the negative, limiting, mind rationalizations: impatience effects change and gets things done. Or, it is too hard to live in the present moment. Or, if you continue to revisit the negative events of the past you can magically find the key to changing them in the present.

Living in the past or future or what you think should, would or could be robs you of life, which is only real in this NOW moment. So, being disconnected from the present does not result in you behaving with positive purpose.  The exact opposite is true, because when we are disconnected from the present we get into trouble, create stress, worry, judgments about others, and do not create our thoughts, words, and deeds with purpose.

This week, each time your mind returns to the past, leaps ahead to the future or tries to convince you the traffic jam should be different, stop and take three deep breaths. Keep yourself in the present moment and you will learn to appreciate the immense power you have.

The present is the only time you can take the necessary actions to overcome a challenge or break a negative habit. Now is the only time you can have peace and feel emotionally connected to yourself and others. You will thank yourself for investing in yourself to live patient so you actually create the fullest and most empowered life possible.   And, remember to love yourself by being patient as you learn to remain present.