Today I was enjoying the warmth of the sun in Central Park. Then I thought, hey, I’m going to go get a book to read and then I’ll come back to the sun. I took the subway, and when I get out from underground it was pouring rain outside.

In that moment, I was reminded of a simple fact. Nothing is guaranteed. I was acting as if it were going to be sunny all day. But no, it started to rain.

Then I remembered this advice I picked up somewhere: Enjoy everything as if it were the last time you were ever going to do that thing, see that person, experience that moment. Don’t expect things to last. They never do. Everything is always changing. Change is one of those things you can always count on.

When you start living more consciously this way you see the world in a whole new way. You will be more grateful, and, overall have a greater sense of joy and wellbeing. Take the time to appreciate the present moment. That’s the only thing you will ever truly have, even though the present moment is fleeting and slipping away from your grasp at this very moment. The past is forever lost. The future is never guaranteed.

Try spending a couple moments a day, thinking, this could be the last time I ever do this. See how much more you appreciate those moments; when you know they are temporary. You must pay attention if it is temporary. Otherwise you let it slip consciously.

The goal is not to be aware of every single thing that happens, but to increase the number of moments a day that you truly experience.

Remember, tomorrow is not guaranteed.