Corita Kent once said "Life is a succession of moments. To live each one is to succeed." I would have to agree. The problem comes in implementing this great advice. To squeeze the most out of life and the moments of life is not something most of us are accustomed to do. We often find it difficult to be fully engaged in the moment, because we are so distracted or bogged down with things on our "to do" list. Learning to live in the moment seems like a luxury or even a waste of time. I wonder? At the end of the say when we wearily climb into the bed because of a busy day, what did we really accomplish? What sacrifices did we make to accomplish all of those things? How did our hearts and souls suffer? What joys and pleasures did we miss out along the way?

Recently at a lunch with my husband, I woke up from a mental distraction to hear him say, "Boy, I can tell you have a lot on your mind." I was so distracted by my thoughts and to "do list" that even though I was physically present, I was mentally somewhere else. Talk about missing the moment!

"Why it is so difficult to kick back and smell the roses or to savor the special moments of life? Somehow, we have convinced ourselves that "productivity" is the name of the game. I am not opposed to productivity, but why not enjoy the ride along the way? Why not enjoy the simple day to day moments and pleasures. Time and the people we care about are just some of the things that none of us can get back once they are gone.

If succeeding at life is in direct proportion to being able to live in the moment, maybe you and I need to rethink some things. If life is a "succession of moments" and to fully succeed in this life is to be able to live fully in those moments, what can you say about the quality of your life? Are you living in the moment? Are you valuing the present? Do you recognize the power of this moment, this day?

The way I see it, any given day that you and I are living and breathing is really a precious gift that has been given to us and entrusted to us. The question is what will we do with this gift? There are a thousand possibilities at our disposal. Let me ask you another important question. What would you do if this were your last day on earth? Would it make any difference in how you spent the day? What would happen if you approached each day as a clean slate being handed to you to write on as if it were your last day?

Too often people have to go through a near death experience to value the significance and importance of each day. Well, why wait for that to happen? Each day really is a clean slate waiting to be written upon. What will you write? Let today be a powerful force for you to savor and maximize the precious moments of your life. Let today count!

Janet G. Daughtry is a certified Christian life and business coach specializing in helping women dance in their dreams and unlock their life's potential. Please visit for more articles and information.