Most of us live in a make-believe world of our thoughts and feelings, where memories and anticipations replace spontaneous participation in the moment. This may be the norm, but it’s far from natural and in order to enjoy your true potential you must wake up and embrace the now .

You have been taught that life demands constant thinking, reacting, and the furrowed brow of concerned planning. But the truth is you absolutely can let all of that go and find the unbroken peace of the present moment.

Consider where you are right now. Become fully present as you read these words; acknowledge your physical surroundings and the intuitive current that flows inside you.

How are you really feeling in this moment?

You may be surprised to find that your true feelings are not in alignment with the "mood" you are projecting to others. When you truly allow this moment to unfold without judgment and prejudice, you may also find that fatigue and pain are replaced by a sense of exhilaration.

Once you step back from your mental chatter and accept the present moment for what it truly is, it’s also entirely possible that you’ll feel more alert, calm, and empowered. In many ways you will meet a brand new person when you stop living "in your head" and center your awareness on the truth of right here and now.

The fact is most people are not living their truth, because they are not living in the real world. By this, I mean it’s common for people to dwell constantly on thoughts of the past and/or future, rather than to be centered in the immediate present.

When we reject the now in favor of imagined moments (past or future), we are in fact displacing our conscious minds from our physical bodies. In so doing we limit our abilities to clearly and accurately process and respond to present emotional and intellectual data; and we tire ourselves unnecessarily.

As a result, the person you embody in your daily life may be a pale shadow of the man or woman you truly are. And the solution is to pursue an ongoing mindfulness of the present moment.

Letting go of forced thought and mental chatter is easy. You simply embrace where you are and what you are doing and allow your senses to see, hear, touch, etc. whatever is with you in the moment. It’s quite liberating and you will instantly comprehend the simple "rightness" of this practice.

Sustaining your connection to the present moment requires diligence and commitment.

But if you truly want to live in the space of bliss, discovery, contribution, and personal power, you must embrace the truth and let go of the illusion.

By no means should your pursuit of present moment mindfulness become a chore. Rejoice in the opportunity to discover each new moment.

And when you lose your connection and sink back into thinking-awareness, refrain from scolding yourself. Simply observe yourself in the thinking state and then return your attention to the sparkle of this pristine moment.

Be sure to check out my other articles for more great insights on living in the present moment and finding your personal power through learning to live in the now .

Too often we refrain from sharing and giving because we want to be sure we have enough for tomorrow. But the truth is we only need to plan for this moment.

Many of the cells in our body carry only enough fuel and oxygen for three seconds of life. We should learn to trust and flow in this manner.

I’m not saying it’s bad to plan and save for the future. But do it and then let go; don’t become obsessed with having enough for later because right now is all we really ever have.

The true pinnacle of spiritual living is embracing the present moment with the whole of our being. Living here and now with no concern for the past or future is the ultimate freedom.

We either live from the center of fear or the center of love. When we fear, we fail to give and share and justify this by saying there may not be enough to last until the end of the month.

When we live in love, we are happy to share with those around us because we know we can never ever run out of good things. Imagine a wolrd if more people gave freely with no fear.

The current and manufactured “recession” can only have a real impact if people become fearful and stop spending money. If this happens there will be much suffering.

But if people refuse to be afraid and continue to circulate money joyfully, there will continue to be more than enough to go around. Whenever you pay money for a product or service, think of this as circulating wealth, not as spending anything.

The money we share and circulate will always come back to us in many forms. And it’s such a joy to help the greater good by circulating our money through many different avenues.

The more you give, the more you in turn receive. This is part of the law of abundance and I challenge you to put it to the test.