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Where were you when you took a shower today? (assuming that you did, of course). Physically, you were in the shower, but where was your mind? If you’re like me, your mind was likely off into a possible future filled with things that must be done, or could be done, or might just happen. And, at times, it drifts into a past that once was, recycling missed opportunities, old wounds, or pleasurable moments that seemed to slip away like ether.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with this, mind you. The rub though is that we can start living more in our heads than in contact with our experience, as it is, and right where we are. That’s a problem as far as your life is concerned. Here’s why.

You create your life by what you do, right where you are, not by what you think about what might happen or what once was. You can act on your life right now, in any moment that you find yourself. There is just no way to think yourself into a rich, whole, dignified life. You can’t feel your way into it either. You have to do something. And here, your mind can be your greatest friend or your worst enemy.

Learning to take refuge in the present moment can be a powerful way to retrain our minds so that we can be present, show up, and do what matters right where we are and right where we can act to make a difference in our lives.

Young children, by the way, are masters at this. If you watch them, you’ll see that they are utterly in the now, in touch with what is happening as its happening. We’ve all been there at some point, and yet it’s easy to lose sight of that experience as we get older. As we become more language sophisticated, we dwell less in the here and now and more in our heads, and like a time machine our minds can propel us forward or backward. And sadly, too much of this can leave us feeling disconnected from the present, and quite often suffering.