Surprise! It's the present moment. Actually that might be the least surprising thing in life. You are experiencing this moment right now just as you will experience other moments later today and other moments years from now. This moment is. You may not like everything about it, but it is. If you resist this moment, you make things more difficult for yourself than if you were to embrace this moment.

No matter how difficult or strenuous this moment is, you can still embrace it by accepting it. Life includes so many tough moments. Nothing gold can stay. When the next inevitable hardship arrives, try to accept that it's happening, don't deny reality. Resistance to pain amplifies pain. Remember that this too shall pass, and accepting this moment's gray sky will make the next sunny day that much brighter.

Alternatively, whenever this moment pleases you, embrace it by enjoying it! See if you can increase your enjoyment of what you're experiencing by noticing its more subtle aspects: the reverb of a friend's full-throated laugh or the way sunlight floods the gaps among the trees. Life includes so much rich detail, endless splendor. Reality has given you a beautiful gift in this moment, it's good to enjoy it.

Enthusiasm is a heightened embrace of this moment that occurs when the present situation is in alignment with your vision or purpose for your life. Whatever is happening is not only satisfying right now, it also contributes towards something beyond the present moment. Your experience is in resonance with who you are now and who you are becoming, and your enthusiasm is a reflection of you living out your calling.

It's natural to get wrapped up in whatever is happening without considering how you're engaging with it. Noticing how you relate to this moment is useful for raising your awareness. Can you accept the difficult moments? Do you enjoy the pleasurable moments? Are you enthusiastic in the moments that serve your vision? It's a move toward inner peace, and it's always available.