You’ve heard about “living in the moment,” and it sounds great.
You’re ready to give it a go. But it would be great to have someone there to guide you along.
And if no one can be there with you in the flesh, it would help to read the words of those who’ve learned how to live in the moment and who have experienced the difference between that and being stuck in the past or obsessed with the future.
It turns out, there are plenty to choose from.
Enough people over the centuries have learned how to be present, what that has done for them (and those they love), and how to help others to do the same.
So, enjoy this thoughtfully curated list of living in the moment quotes.
Prepare to find at least a few you’ll want to keep handy.
Why It’s Important to Live in the Present Moment
Living in the present moment is the only way to become the person you were made to be.
It’s the only way to even know where you are, recognize what you’ve accomplished, and see what you need to do to make the most of both.
Only with present moment awareness can you see how your past has shaped you and lay the best foundation for the future.
The only way you do that is by making the most of the present — which is all you really have.
To break things down a bit more clearly, here are three reasons to live in the moment:
- Your memory of the past is imperfect at best (and constantly subject to revision).
- You can’t know or control the future.
- The only time you can fully experience life is right now (the present).
Things You Can Do Only in the Present
You did things in the past — which you can’t undo. You might do things in the future.
But you can only be fully conscious and happy in the present moment, so why focus on on the past and future which often brings you suffering?
Here are a few things you can only do in the present moment:
- Fully savor the task or action at hand.
- Make new connections with others.
- Take action to strengthen the relationships you have.
- Forgive and ask forgiveness to repair damaged relationships
- Help someone else through a difficult experience (be present for them).
- Fully experience with gratitude all the good things this moment holds.
- Breathe and be grateful for each breath.
- Make the moment better for someone you love.
You might be thinking, “What I’m doing now will make the future better for those I love,” and you’re not wrong to want to do that. Neither is it pointless to work for a better future.
But the only way to do that effectively is to spend more time living in the now.
And when it comes to relationships, what you do and say now has always been more important than what might be.
Don’t assume that your future-focused actions say everything you want to say to those for whose sake you’re acting.
Your loved ones deserve to know that being present for them now is more important to you than whatever you might do for them in the future.
You can only love in the present. And how you love in the present moment will affect the future (if it comes) far more than anything else you do.
67 Live In The Moment Quotes
Have a look at this list of quotes about living in the moment and consider taking them with you each day.
1. “Unease, anxiety, tension, stress, worry — all forms of fear — are caused by too much future, and not enough presence. Guilt, regret, resentment, grievances, sadness, bitterness, and all forms of non-forgiveness are caused by too much past, and not enough presence.” — Eckhart Tolle
2. “Stop acting as though life is a rehearsal. Live this day as if it were your last. The past is over and gone. The future is not guaranteed.” — Wayne Dyer
3. “The next message you need is always right where you are.” — Ram Dass
4. “The only time you ever have in which to learn anything or see anything or feel anything, or express any feeling or emotion, or respond to an event, or grow, or heal, is this moment because this is the only moment any of us ever gets. You’re only here now; you’re only alive in this moment.” — Jon Kabat-Zinn
5. “Living in the moment means letting go of the past and not waiting for the future. It means living your life consciously, aware that each moment you breathe is a gift.” — Oprah Winfrey
6. “Remember, then: there is only one time that is important — Now! It is the most important time because it is the only time when we have any power.” — Leo Tolstoy
7. “Past and future are in the mind only — I am now.” — Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj
8. “Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present.” — Jim Rohn
9. “You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave. Find eternity in each moment.” — Henry David Thoreau
10. “Real generosity toward the future lies in giving all to the present.” — Albert Camus
11. “People sacrifice the present for the future. But life is available only in the present. That is why we should walk in such a way that every step can bring us to the here and the now.” — Thick Nhat Hahn
12. “God isn’t present in the past or future. The great ‘I am’ is in the present moment. When I claim that presence, I can get through anything today.” – Regina Brett
13. Life gives you plenty of time to do whatever you want to do if you stay in the present moment.” — Deepak Chopra
14. “To become mindfully aware of our surroundings is to bring our thinking back to our present moment reality and to the possibility of some semblance of serenity in the face of circumstances outside our ability to control.” — Jeff Kober
15. “I do not want to foresee the future. I am concerned with taking care of the present. God has given me no control over the moment following.” — Mahatma Gandhi
16. “You don’t build a bond without being present.” — James Earl Jones
18. “If you’re carrying strong feelings about something that happened in your past, they may hinder your ability to live in the present.” — Les Brown
19. “Being fully present is the best guarantee for a bright future.” — Guy Finley
20. “We should not fret for what is past, nor should we be anxious about the future; men of discernment deal only with the present moment.” — Chanakya
21. “Children have a way of forcing you back into the present moment.” – Lorna Luft
22. “The reason we want to go on and on is because we live in an impoverished present.” — Alan Watts
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23. “I am in the present. I cannot know what tomorrow will bring forth. I can only know what the truth is for me today. That is what I am called upon to serve, and I serve it in all lucidity.” — Igor Stravinsky
24. “Buddhist mindfulness is about the present, but I also think it’s about being real. Being awake to everything. Feeling like nothing can hurt you if you can look it straight on.” — Krista Tippett
25. “There is surely nothing other than the single purpose of the present moment. A man’s whole life is a succession of moment after moment. If one fully understands the present moment, there will be nothing else to do, and nothing else to pursue. Live being true to the single purpose of the moment.” — Yamamoto Tsunemoto
26. “There exists only the present instant… a Now which always and without end is itself new. There is no yesterday nor any tomorrow, but only Now, as it was a thousand years ago and as it will be a thousand years hence.” — Meister Eckhart
28. “Make a good use of the present.” — Horace
29. “The best preparation for the future is the present well seen to, and the last duty done.” — George MacDonald
30. “Every moment and every event of every man’s life on earth plants something in his soul.” — Thomas Merton
31. “Most people are prisoners, thinking only about the future or living in the past. They are not in the present, and the present is where everything begins.” — Carlos Santana
32. “The point of power is always in the present moment.” – Louise Hay
33. “The ability to live in the present moment is a major component of mental wellness.” — Abraham Maslow
34. “Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has many — not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.” — Charles Dickens
35. “Don’t wait to be successful at some future point. Have a successful relationship with the present moment and be fully present in whatever you are doing. That is success.” — Eckhart Tolle
36. “Use the energy that fear creates to focus the mind more intensely on the present moment — where fear doesn’t exist.” — John Mackey
37. “Our present moment is a mystery that we are part of. Here and now is where all the wonder of life lies hidden.” — Wayne Dyer
38. “The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.” ― Eleanor Roosevelt
39. “Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.”― Ralph Waldo Emerson
40. “Happiness, not in another place but this place…not for another hour, but this hour.”― Walt Whitman
42. “Be present in all things and thankful for all things.”― Maya Angelou
43. “If you want to conquer the anxiety of life, live in the moment, live in the breath.” ― Amit Ray
44. “The past is behind, learn from it. The future is ahead, prepare for it. The present is here, live it.” ― Thomas S. Monson
45. “Life is a preparation for the future; and the best preparation for the future is to live as if there were none.” ― Albert Einstein
46. “I don’t know who my grandfather was; I am much more concerned to know what his grandson will be.” ― Abraham Lincoln
48. “I always live in the present. The future I can’t know. The past I no longer have.” ― Fernando Pessoa
50. “Living in the moment is being aware of the moment we are in. If our minds are in the past or future, we are not truly alive in the present.” ― Satsuki Shibuya
51. “The here and now is all we have, and if we play it right it’s all we’ll need.” ― Ann Richards
52. “Today is the first day of the rest of your life. Make it matter, as if it is your last.” ― Anthon St. Maarten
53. “Don’t let the past steal your present.” ― Cherralea Morgen
54. “Eternity belongs to those who live in the present.” ― Ludwig Wittgenstein
55. “Make NOW the primary focus of your life!” ― Ramana Pemmaraju
56. “Children have neither a past nor a future. Thus they enjoy the present, which seldom happens to us.” ― Jean de La Bruyère
57. “The meeting of two eternities, the past and the future… is precisely the present moment.” ― Henry David Thoreau
58. “The only way to survive eternity is to be able to appreciate each moment.” ― Lauren Kate
59. “You can’t go back to how things were. How you thought they were. All yoZu really have is…now.” ― Jay Asher
60. “If there’s one thing I learned, it’s that nobody is here forever. You have to live for the moment, each and every day . . . the here, the now.” ― Simone Elkeles
61. “Learn from yesterday, live for today, look to tomorrow, rest this afternoon.” ― Charles M. Schulz
62. “Look at everything always as though you were seeing it either for the first or last time: Thus is your time on earth filled with glory.” ― Betty Smith
63. “My past and my future depends on today.” – Trevor Hall
64. “The past is never there when you try to go back. It exists, but only in memory. To pretend otherwise is to invite a mess.” – Chris Cobbs
65. “Living in the present moment creates the experience of eternity.” ― Deepak Chopra
66. “Stress is the distance between where your thoughts are and where your life is happening.” ― Dean Jackson
67. “You are only here now; you’re only alive in this moment.” ― Jon Kabat-Zinn
Ways to Keep Your Favorite Quotes Handy
You’ve found some quotes you want to keep visible to inspire you and those who share your home. You know that just seeing those words throughout the day will help you remember to live in the moment. And you hope they’ll inspire the people you love to do the same.
We hope so, too. So, here are some ways to keep those golden quotes handy.
- Go crazy with dry-erase markers.
- Write love notes — to yourself and others
- Make a list of journal/writing prompts
- Create and share personalized items.
- Post one as a screensaver or as your desktop wallpaper.
If you have dry-erase pens, you have a variety of surfaces to work with — whiteboards being the most obvious. Try writing a quote of the week along the top of your bathroom mirror — or on the glass of a large window you look through every day — or on the smooth, polished surface of your refrigerator.
Sticky notes are another great option, as are simple sheets from a notepad, which you can tape to any surface or tuck into a loved one’s lunch sack or laptop bag.
VistaPrint and CafePress make it easy to create personalized gifts — like mugs, throw pillows, clothing and bags, calendars, holiday cards, and other options — with meaningful quotes.
I recommend using a program like Canva to create an image with a particular quote and upload that to either VistaPrint or CafePress. Make some inspirational gifts for yourself and for people you love.
Did you find these present moment quotes useful? Spread the love!
I hope that in reading this article you’ve found some be present quotes you’ll want to keep visible — for this day, this week, or until you find others that will help you with living in the present moment more consciously.
With 67 quotes to choose from, if you’ve found at least one that helps you make this moment better, this article has fulfilled its purpose. One moment well-lived leads to others. May you find the words that will help you make the most of each one.
If you found value in this article, please share it to help others find their favorite quotes for living in the moment. And may your present moment awareness and gratitude infuse everything else you do today.
