Living in the Present

I heard a chic on the train today comment, "Tomorrow's gonna be a great day."  Now I don't mean to be judgmental, because for all I know she was looking forward to a family reunion or to eating lots of ice cream the next day, but I feel like our culture has a bit of an obsession for making the future better, and a lack of an appreciation for the present.

What about right now?  Do we appreciate the here and now enough?  It could be a really great moment, and my mind might drift off to thinking about the future instead of living in the now.  What does the future really have to offer me?  I mean, it's likely I could guess what my life would be like in 10 years, and it could be true, but really, I dont have total control.  None of us do.  For all I know I could end up pursuing penguin research, have sextuplets, or get amnesia.  Then what would the daydreaming be worth?

I've worked to break this habit of longing for something more than the here and now, and instead be sure focus on the beauty and opportunities of the present.  Granted I still find myself thinking of some possible future, but if I spend so much time longing for the future, longing for something that's not, I fear I'd spend life longing away, and miss some of the beauty of the present.  

Things that work for me: stopping in the middle of a moment (my wedding day comes to mind), and breathing in the emotions, the scene, and attempting to hold onto it.  Feel the moment so deeply that it's as if it has stopped.  This keeps me from thinking less of an uncertain future, and making sure I'm not missing the present.

If you have other tips for appreciating life or think I'm crazy, feel free to share.