The here and now is all we have and if we play it right, it’s all we need. Ann Richards.

The most important moment is the present moment. But how to live that?

Many of us live out our lives with one eye on the past, a past that’s already gone – and the other on the future, that’s not here yet. Choosing to live in the past or in the future steals your todays and robs you of living to the fullest.

Living in the present, takes work, time and humility. If you are new to this philosophy, here are just five of many practices to get you started:

1. Live more simply. Cut back on what you don’t want and what you don’t really need. Live as lean as you can. Don’t let all the things overtake you. They are just ‘stuff.’
2. Stay in control of your attitude. Strive to stay positive in spite of all you hear and observe. It is easier to give in to societal convention and cynicism, but don’t. Nothing of any real, lasting value has ever been produced by a cynic.
3. Be more compassionate and considerate of others. Start today, right now. You’ll be amazed at what flows back to you when you do.
4. Make a conscious effort to fully appreciate the ‘little things,’ the sights, sounds and smells, and the various emotions you feel and encounter each day.
5. Love your work. If you don’t or can’t, resolve to appreciate the good things about it. Then get involved with something outside of work that feeds your soul and gladdens your heart.

Live forward. Never look back. No one knows what the future holds so give each day your best shot. When you have gone as far as you can go, you’ll know what to do next.

It’s not whether you win or lose but how you play the game.

Want to step up the game of life you are playing? Could you use a seasoned, executive life coach with a fresh pair of eyes? I’m easily reachable at drew@drewsimmie.com or call direct 416.450.8867. Follow me on Twitter.

The great mystery of the world is the known, not the unknown. Oscar Wilde.

This week I returned home after a wonderful three week holiday in Spain.

Twenty-one days off the grid. No constantly my checking my email on my phone or my MacBook. No texting. No TV. No internet. No radio. Not even reading the headlines on the newspaper as I strolled by the news stands. No weekly magazines. A print and digital detox.

There is nothing like dropping out for an extended period  to clarify your thinking and put things back into perspective.

The trip was way overdue. It was only the second time in my life that I had the opportunity to take off three weeks back-to-back, made extraordinarily special by the warm reception of some friends and their families. We were truly blessed and will be forever grateful.

Life is very special and so precious. It is so easy to get all caught up in the daily routine and surface interests, the meaningless and the idleness of the media that clutter up your mind and serve to distract you from what you think is truly important.

This isn’t meant as a rant. Life is too complex for that. The demands placed upon each of us are unending. The pressure is intense. I don’t have to tell you.

Life is a dance, two steps forward, one step back. Yet, each day we show up, living out our personal destinies, dancing as fast as we can.

We keep on. Doing what we think we are sent here to do. Learning, growing, seeking improvement, helping others, doing the best we can with what we have. It’s what humankind does.

We are all a work in progress. It isn’t over until it’s over… and as I begin to put on the years, sometimes I’m not even entirely sure about that. It’s something we each have to decide for ourselves.

Living isn’t always easy, but if you are willing to expect the unexpected, have the courage and capacity to love, to believe in yourself and in a better future, it is the greatest of all adventures.

Life goes on…

Doing some future planning? Could you use a fresh pair of eyes? Let’s chat. I’m easily reachable at drew@drewsimmie.com or call direct 416.450.8867. Follow me on Twitter.

Never for the sake of peace and quiet deny your own experience or your own convictions. Dag Hammarskjold.

Have you ever found yourself sitting quietly at 35,000 feet, on your way to a business meeting or perhaps coming back from a holiday, your mind wandering, quietly looking out the window, thinking, “Do I have this picture right? Could someone have switched the script when I wasn’t watching?

Could it be that you have outgrown your present situation? Could a change be in the works?

So, here you are. Doing all the right things, playing by the rules, but there is a void in your life… a feeling that something is missing. It’s kind of like getting up from the table after a delicious meal, but still feeling hungry.

Sound familiar? Relax, it isn’t only you. You are not the first person to ask these or similar questions.

It’s just that now it’s your turn.

You are not who you were when you started out. None of us are. Subject to the shifting currents, as we make our way through life, living our personal destinies, we pass through a number of phases, like taking off an old coat and putting on a new one.

Change isn’t without risk, it’s true, and it’s not for everyone, but it’s equally true that being willing to put down your old stories doesn’t always mean giving up the “good life” and all that for which you have worked so hard. Nor does it mean you can’t be consistent with your entrepreneurial, money-making instincts and skills.

What is has everything to do with is your attitude, your willingness to believe in yourself and in your innate, unique talents.

Letting go of the familiar isn’t for everyone, but if you feel in your gut that you have plateaued and think that there is brighter, more exciting future beckoning, there isn’t a better time than today.

There will be some scary moments, that’s for sure, but you’ll handle them.

Our world is changing, bringing with it new opportunities and broader horizons open to those willing to seek them out.

At the end of the day, it’s up to you.